NameCensus.

UK surname

Nee

Anglicized form of the Chinese surname Ni, meaning "mud" or "earth," or the Irish surname Ó Nigh, meaning "descendant of Niamh."

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Nee surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 483, ranked #10,240, up from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Combe St Nicholas, St Bees and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Barnsley and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nee is 494 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 442.7%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

483

2016, ranked #10,240

Peak year

2009

494 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nee had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016, ranked #10,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Nee surname distribution map

The map shows where the Nee surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Nee surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Nee over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 34 #27,194
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 5 #33,939
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1997 modern 430 #10,423
1998 modern 435 #10,678
1999 modern 442 #10,606
2000 modern 449 #10,459
2001 modern 425 #10,716
2002 modern 457 #10,314
2003 modern 451 #10,274
2004 modern 453 #10,251
2005 modern 450 #10,209
2006 modern 459 #10,088
2007 modern 477 #9,907
2008 modern 485 #9,864
2009 modern 494 #9,953
2010 modern 493 #10,161
2011 modern 471 #10,418
2012 modern 491 #10,013
2013 modern 490 #10,176
2014 modern 490 #10,233
2015 modern 489 #10,168
2016 modern 483 #10,240

Geography

Back to top

Where Nees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Combe St Nicholas, St Bees, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Holywell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Barnsley, Redcar and Cleveland, Spelthorne and Coventry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Combe St Nicholas Somerset
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Holywell Flintshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 006 Reading
2 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
3 Redcar and Cleveland 022 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Spelthorne 005 Spelthorne
5 Coventry 002 Coventry

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Nee

These lists show first names that appear often with the Nee surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Nee

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nee, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Nee surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Nee household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Nee is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nee is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nee falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nee is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Nee, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Nee

The surname NEE originated in France. It emerged in the 12th century and is derived from the Old French word "nee," meaning "born" or "native." The earliest references to the name can be found in records from the Normandy region of northern France.

The surname NEE likely originated as a descriptive name, given to someone who had recently arrived in a new area or village. It may have been used to distinguish them from long-standing residents. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname for someone born on a specific day or during a notable event.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval documents from Normandy, such as land grants and tax records. One notable example is Jacques NEE, a landowner mentioned in a 1265 charter from the town of Rouen.

Over time, the name spread to other parts of France, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Née, Nee, and Nay. In the 16th century, records show a Pierre Nee living in Paris, while a Jean Nay was recorded in the southern city of Marseille.

The surname NEE also found its way to other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, a family by the name of Nee settled in the Netherlands, and their descendants can be traced through church records and census documents. One notable figure was Jan Nee (1630-1695), a merchant and alderman in Amsterdam.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in Britain, likely brought over by French immigrants or Huguenot refugees. Records from this period include a William Nee (1712-1789), a weaver from London, and a Mary Nee (1745-1812), who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

As people migrated to other parts of the world, the surname NEE spread further. In the 19th century, a family with the name settled in Australia, where a prominent figure was James Nee (1835-1908), a politician and businessman from Sydney.

Other notable individuals with the surname NEE throughout history include:

- Henri Née (1804-1879), a French painter and illustrator. - Ary de Nee (1861-1942), a Dutch writer and poet. - Léon Née (1895-1974), a French cyclist and Olympic medalist. - Norma Nee (1928-2005), an American actress and dancer. - David Nee (born 1959), an American author and journalist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Nee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nee surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 25 Nees recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.45x.

County Total Index
Durham 25 8.45x
Northumberland 22 14.86x
Yorkshire 12 1.22x
Lanarkshire 8 2.49x
Lancashire 7 0.59x
Caernarfonshire 6 14.92x
Monmouthshire 6 8.34x
Dunbartonshire 4 14.96x
Cumberland 3 3.50x
Staffordshire 3 0.89x
Derbyshire 2 1.28x
Surrey 2 0.41x
Sussex 1 0.60x
West Lothian 1 6.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Shields in Northumberland leads with 20 Nees recorded in 1881 and an index of 677.97x.

Place Total Index
North Shields 20 677.97x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 109.20x
Gateshead 9 40.61x
Govan 6 7.54x
Hook 6 276.50x
St Woollos 6 74.72x
Bangor 5 128.87x
Dewsbury 5 49.46x
Bonhill 3 69.93x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 50.51x
Spotland 3 22.87x
Whitehaven 3 65.79x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 10.67x
Glasgow 2 3.50x
Stanton Newhall 2 400.00x
Tynemouth 2 25.22x
Walton On Thames 2 89.69x
Brighton 1 2.96x
Cardross 1 31.15x
Gorton 1 9.01x
Llanbeblig 1 24.51x
Normanby In 1 37.88x
Ouston 1 232.56x
South Shields 1 37.88x
Uphall 1 60.61x
Warrington 1 7.15x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Nee surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 11
Bridget 6
Ann 4
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Elizth. 1
Hannah 1
MC 1
Mairy 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Nee surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 10
Michael 8
Patrick 5
William 5
Peter 4
Thomas 3
Festus 2
Martin 2
Colman 1
Dennis 1
Duddley 1
Dudley 1
Francis 1
George 1
Jan 1
Joseph 1
Larry 1
Pat 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Nee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Nee surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016. That gives Nee a modern rank of #10,240.

What does the Nee surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Chinese surname Ni, meaning "mud" or "earth," or the Irish surname Ó Nigh, meaning "descendant of Niamh."

What does the Nee map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nee bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.