How Many People Are Named Robert Nelson?

There are approximately 4,033 people named Robert Nelson living in the United States today. That makes this name combination common, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 84,987 Americans.

This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Robert with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Nelson. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and ancestry information.

Estimated People with This Name

4,033

1 in 84,987 Americans

Combination Rarity

Common

Very Rare Very Common

Robert: Popularity Over Time

Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Robert. The peak year was 1947 with 91,891 births. The average person named Robert today is 60 years old.

Male
Female
0 18K 37K 55K 74K 92K 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ancestry of the Nelson Surname

Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Nelson, from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

White
77.66%
Black
15.97%
Hispanic
2.55%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.67%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.16%
Two or More Races
2.00%

How we calculated this

The first name "Robert" has an estimated frequency of 0.817% among living Americans, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for mortality using CDC 2023 life tables.

The surname "Nelson" appears at a rate of 144.06 per 100,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiplying these frequencies against the U.S. population of ~343 million gives 4,033 estimated people. This assumes first names and last names are statistically independent. Full methodology.

Robert Nelson: Questions and Answers

How many people are named Robert Nelson?

We estimate approximately 4,033 people named Robert Nelson are alive in the United States today. The first name Robert is shared by 2,799,566 Americans, and the surname Nelson is shared by 483,888.

How rare is the name Robert Nelson?

This name combination is classified as Common, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 84,987 Americans. The first name Robert is very common and the surname Nelson is common.

Is Robert a male or female name?

Robert is predominantly male, with 99.6% of bearers being male and 0.4% female. It peaked in popularity in 1947 and the average bearer today is 60 years old.

Where does this data come from?

First name data comes from the Social Security Administration (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables. Surname data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. Full methodology.

How Many of Me
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There are 4,033 people with the name

Robert Nelson

in the United States

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