2000
#7,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,412
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Nam
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Nan, meaning "south" or referring to someone from the south.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,605 Americans carry the last name Nam. That puts it at #5,113 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nam surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.6K
1 in 45,070
Census rank
#5,113
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,632 bearers of the surname Nam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5113th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nam
The surname "Nam" has its origins in Vietnam, where it can be traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "nam," meaning "south," and was likely a descriptive name given to someone who lived in or came from the southern regions of the country.
In ancient Vietnamese records, the name "Nam" appears in various forms, such as "Nam Viet" and "Nam Quoc," both of which refer to the southern regions of what is now modern-day Vietnam. The earliest known reference to the surname "Nam" dates back to the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a Vietnamese historical text called "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "Nam" was Nguyen Nam, a Vietnamese scholar and poet who lived in the 17th century (1628-1687). He was renowned for his contributions to Vietnamese literature and his philosophical works.
Another notable figure with the surname "Nam" was Tran Nam, a Vietnamese general who played a crucial role in the Tay Son Rebellion of the late 18th century (1771-1802). He was instrumental in leading the rebel forces against the Nguyen lords and helped establish the Tay Son Dynasty, albeit briefly.
In the 19th century, Pham Nam Sach (1832-1902) was a prominent Vietnamese scholar and educator who advocated for educational reforms and the modernization of Vietnam's education system.
During the 20th century, Vo Nam (1890-1951) was a Vietnamese writer and journalist who played an influential role in the development of modern Vietnamese literature. He is particularly known for his works that explored the social and cultural changes in Vietnam during the colonial period.
More recently, Nam June Paik (1932-2006), a Korean-American artist, is widely regarded as a pioneer of video art and is credited with coining the term "electronic superhighway" to describe the global network of communication and information exchange.
While the surname "Nam" has its roots in Vietnam, it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and connection to the southern regions of Vietnam remain an integral part of its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nam
Among Census respondents with the surname Nam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nam bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.6% · 6,072
- White3.8% · 255
- Two or more races2.2% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 81
- Black or African American1.1% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nam
Nam appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,244
+1,832 bearers (+41.5%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Up 1,436 places
2020
#5,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,632
+388 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Up 456 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,005 | 4,412 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,569 | 6,244 | 2.12 | +1,832 bearers (+41.5%) | Up 1,436 places |
| 2020 | #5,113 | 6,632 | 2.22 | +388 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 456 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nam surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,569 | #5,113 | 8.2% |
| Count | 6,244 | 6,632 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.12 | 2.22 | 4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nam bearers went from 6,244 to 6,632 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 456 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,569 to #5,113.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nam
FAQ
Nam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nam?
Name Census estimates that about 7,605 living Americans carry the surname Nam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,070 residents.
How common is Nam?
Nam ranks #5,113 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,632 people with the surname Nam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,605), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nam.
Has Nam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nam went from 6,244 recorded bearers to 6,632. That is an increase of 388 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,569 to #5,113.
What does the Census say about the background of Nam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (6,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.6%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nam (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nam mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Nan, meaning "south" or referring to someone from the south. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nam (2.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Nam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.