The Nester surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,847 people carried this name — #5,903 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,500 people counted. That is up 6% from 5,519 in 2000.

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In Poland’s population register

241 people named Nester have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 468 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lower Silesian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Lower Silesian 75
Subcarpathian 53
Lubusz 40
Lublin 24
Masovian 23
Łódź 11
Lesser Poland 10
Pomeranian 3

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 29 people named Nester.

2 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 8 départements, most often Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 2
Meurthe-et-Moselle 8
Haut-Rhin 6
Paris 4
Gironde 3
Doubs 2
Bas-Rhin 2
Seine-Saint-Denis 1
Val-d’Oise 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In print

Nester in American newspapers,
1913.

Newspaper page from The Richmond Palladium And Sun-telegram carrying the name Nester
The Richmond Palladium And Sun-telegram 1913-10-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Nester in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1960s.

426 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nester. The most, 77, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 153
Victoria 90
Queensland 79
Western Australia 59
South Australia 41
Tasmania 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nester.

Who carried it

People named Nester,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Johann Nester 1596–1662 · physician
  • Thomas Nester 1833–1890
  • George Nester 1861–1922
  • Robert John Nester 1909–1974
  • Rostislav Nester 1930–2006
  • Eugeniusz Nester 1942–2022 · architect

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Nester,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States578 records

578 records of the Nester name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 202
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 152
  • Other U.S. records 224
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Posey B. Nester

    Born 1924 in Virginia. Enlisted 1943 at Roanoke; farm hand from Carroll County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Pine Grove Cemetery, Hillsville, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria Nester

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 24; servant. From Castlerea, Ireland; bound for Chicago.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roger Nester

    Born 1944; from Mt Sterling, Kentucky. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Kontum, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 578 records for Nester in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia55 records

55 records of the Nester name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 29
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 13
  • Other Australian records 13
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Nester

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lord Auckland, sailing from Ireland in 1852. Native of Mayo.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Nester

    Arrived in Queensland in 1884 aboard the Roma, aged 21.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Martin Nester

    Farmer of Corindhap, Victoria; died 1895.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 55 records for Nester in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany51 records

51 records of the Nester name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 50
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Rafael Nester

    Born 1898. Reported wounded in the Württemberg casualty list of 31 July 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 413).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Josepha Nester

    Left Eßlingen for North America in 1852.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Nester

    From Heilbronn, Böckingen. Reported wounded in the Württemberg casualty list of 26 November 1914 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 121).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 51 records for Nester in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

France17 records

17 records of the Nester name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paul Alphonse Nester

    Born 1916 in Nancy; died 1997 in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie-Rose Nester

    Born 1922 in Strasbourg; died 1998 in Schiltigheim (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Leonie Cecile Nester

    Born 1904 in Ribeauvillé; died 1993 in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Nester in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Nester name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Josef Nester

    In the population register of Nijmegen; born 1888.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Wilhelmus Joannes Nester

    In the population register of Roermond; born 1893 in Aarlanderveen.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Roermond (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Nester name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Nester

    Yeomanry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Nester name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thoms Nester

    Died 1825, aged 34; buried at Drumacoo, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nester.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nester is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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