NameCensus.

UK surname

Nissen

A Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis," a diminutive of Niels or Nikolaj (Nicholas).

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Nissen surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 200, ranked #19,591, up from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hertsmere, Hounslow and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nissen is 203 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 640.7%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

200

2016, ranked #19,591

Peak year

2014

203 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nissen had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016, ranked #19,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 61 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Nissen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nissen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nissen 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 6 #32,278
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 31 #31,820
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 187 #19,271
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 166 #21,941
2011 modern 171 #21,337
2012 modern 181 #20,531
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 197 #19,774
2016 modern 200 #19,591

Geography

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Where Nissens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hertsmere, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, New Forest and South Angus. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hertsmere 005 Hertsmere
2 Hounslow 007 Hounslow
3 Kensington and Chelsea 018 Kensington and Chelsea
4 New Forest 001 New Forest
5 South Angus Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nissen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nissen

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Nissen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Nissen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Nissen is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nissen 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

Nissen falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nissen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Nissen

The surname Nissen originated in Denmark and is believed to have derived from the Old Danish words "nis" or "nisse," meaning a small mythological creature or elf associated with good luck and prosperity. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or a reference to someone's occupation or association with these mythical beings.

The earliest recorded instances of the Nissen surname date back to the late 15th century in Danish records and documents. Some variations in spelling include Nissen, Nissen, Nissen, and Nissen. These variations were common due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Nissen surname was Hans Nissen, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Odense, Denmark, in the late 16th century. His family's lineage can be traced back to the early 1500s in the same region.

In the 17th century, the Nissen surname appeared in several historical records, including the Danish Census of 1660, where numerous families with this name were documented in various parts of the country.

Notable individuals with the Nissen surname throughout history include:

1. Peter Nissen (1592-1667), a Danish theologian and professor at the University of Copenhagen. 2. Hartvig Nissen (1683-1754), a Norwegian-born Danish mathematician and astronomer. 3. Ferdinando Nissen (1789-1859), an Italian architect and archaeologist known for his excavations in Pompeii. 4. Waldemar Nissen (1846-1917), a German gymnast and educator who developed the Nissen apparatus, a piece of gymnastics equipment still widely used today. 5. Inger Nissen (1908-1991), a Norwegian actress and singer who performed in several films and stage productions.

The Nissen surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Denmark, such as Nissen's Farm (Nissens Gård) and Nissen's Hill (Nissens Høj), further indicating the long-standing presence of this name in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nissen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nissen 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. Lancashire leads with 11 Nissens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 11 3.52x
Durham 7 8.94x
Middlesex 3 1.14x
Midlothian 2 5.67x
Renfrewshire 2 9.80x
Glamorgan 1 2.18x
Surrey 1 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 11 Nissens recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.99x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 11 57.99x
Seaton Carew 6 3750.00x
North Leith 2 122.70x
St Pancras London 2 9.44x
West Greenock 2 54.64x
Cardiff St Mary 1 39.68x
Gateshead 1 17.06x
Richmond 1 55.56x
Teddington London 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Careo 2
Adah.M. 1
Ais 1
Ellen 1
Isabel 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Tens 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 2
Adolph 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Ferdinand 1
Louis 1
Nis 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Nissen households.

FAQ

Nissen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nissen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Nissen surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nissen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 200 in 2016. That gives Nissen a modern rank of #19,591.

What does the Nissen surname mean?

A Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis," a diminutive of Niels or Nikolaj (Nicholas).

What does the Nissen map show?

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