NameCensus.

UK surname

Neller

A surname of German origin meaning "messenger" or "courier."

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Neller surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 161, ranked #22,606, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cranford, London parishes and Kingston-on-Thames. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, Horsham and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neller is 184 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.9%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

161

2016, ranked #22,606

Peak year

2004

184 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neller had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016, ranked #22,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 172 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Neller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neller surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neller 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 173 #19,834
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 163 #21,238
2009 modern 165 #21,552
2010 modern 171 #21,481
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 166 #22,075
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 161 #22,606

Geography

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Where Nellers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cranford, London parishes, Kingston-on-Thames and Wimbledon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hampshire, Horsham, West Berkshire and Basingstoke and Deane. 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 Cranford Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
4 London parishes London 3
5 Wimbledon Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 011 East Hampshire
2 Horsham 005 Horsham
3 West Berkshire 007 West Berkshire
4 Basingstoke and Deane 016 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Horsham 010 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neller

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Neller, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Neller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Neller household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Neller is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neller 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

Neller falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neller is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Neller

The surname Neller is of German origin, first appearing in the late 13th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "nele" or "nelde", which referred to the plant commonly known as dead-nettle. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational or descriptive surname for someone who worked with or lived near an abundance of this plant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a Bavarian tax record from 1285, where a "Heinrich Neller" is listed as a landowner in the village of Ebersberg. The name also appears in various legal documents and land deeds throughout the 14th and 15th centuries in the towns of Augsburg, Munich, and Regensburg.

Interestingly, in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of diplomatic documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century, there is a reference to a "Conradus Neller" from the town of Zwickau in 1296. This suggests that the name may have spread beyond its Bavarian origins at an early stage.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Neller, a Benedictine monk and scholar who lived in the late 15th century. He was born in Augsburg in 1450 and is noted for his contributions to the study of canon law and his work as a scribe, transcribing numerous ancient manuscripts during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various church records and tax rolls across southern Germany, with notable individuals including Hans Neller (1512-1578), a merchant and city councilor in Nuremberg, and Margaretha Neller (1540-1612), a prominent midwife in the town of Bamberg.

As the name spread beyond its Bavarian roots, it can be found in various other regions of Germany, including the Rhineland and Saxony. One notable bearer was Johann Christoph Neller (1670-1743), a renowned painter and portraitist from the town of Wolfenbüttel, who gained fame for his work at the courts of England and Spain.

While the name is predominantly German in origin, it has also been adopted in other countries through migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its earliest roots and most significant historical references can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and southern Germany.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neller 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. Middlesex leads with 32 Nellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 32 3.53x
Surrey 21 4.75x
Hampshire 17 9.14x
Kent 5 1.62x
Sussex 5 3.27x
Essex 4 2.23x
Channel Islands 2 7.44x
Durham 2 0.74x
Lancashire 2 0.19x
Yorkshire 2 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 9.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hammersmith London in Middlesex leads with 10 Nellers recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.76x.

Place Total Index
Hammersmith London 10 44.76x
Harlington 9 1875.00x
Cranford 7 4375.00x
Bisley 6 3000.00x
Wimbledon 6 120.97x
Lancing 5 1190.48x
Medstead 5 3125.00x
Hatfield Broad Oak 4 666.67x
Kingston On Thames 4 37.66x
Ryde 4 100.25x
Farnham 3 87.21x
Alton 2 142.86x
Bishopwearmouth 2 8.64x
Brightside Bierlow 2 11.34x
Colemore 2 6666.67x
Faversham 2 67.80x
Heston 2 66.45x
Leigh 2 500.00x
Long Sutton 2 2000.00x
St Sampson 2 165.29x
Ash Normandy 1 166.67x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 4.25x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.85x
Finchley 1 28.74x
Hanwell 1 62.11x
Penshurst 1 192.31x
Portsea 1 2.74x
Royal Navy 1 10.82x
St Marylebone London 1 2.06x
St Pancras London 1 1.37x
Stoke 1 47.85x
Woodmancote 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 5
Thomas 5
William 5
James 4
Charles 3
George 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
John 1
Richard 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Neller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Neller surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 161 in 2016. That gives Neller a modern rank of #22,606.

What does the Neller surname mean?

A surname of German origin meaning "messenger" or "courier."

What does the Neller map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Neller 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.