2000
#4,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,369
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.73
Rare Last name
Nathan
Derived from a given name of Hebrew origin meaning "he has given" or "God has given."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,029 Americans carry the last name Nathan. That puts it at #4,353 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,961 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nathan 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 Nathan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 37,961
Census rank
#4,353
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,874 bearers of the surname Nathan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4353rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nathan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nathan
The surname Nathan is believed to have originated in medieval England, derived from the Hebrew male given name "Natan," which means "he gave" or "gift of God." The name gained popularity in England during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly among Jewish communities.
In its early forms, the surname was often spelled as "Natan" or "Nathane." Over time, variations such as "Nathen," "Nathans," and "Nathan" emerged, with the latter becoming the most common spelling. The name's widespread use was facilitated by the biblical figure Nathan, a prophet in the Old Testament.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nathan can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1175, which mentions a "Natan le Judeu" (Nathan the Jew). The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a "Simon Nathan" is recorded as living in Oxfordshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Nathan. One of the earliest was Rabbi Isaac Nathan (c. 1115 - c. 1190), a French-Jewish scholar and biblical commentator who lived in the 12th century. Another prominent figure was Isaak Nathan (1790-1864), a German composer and music critic who played a significant role in promoting the works of Beethoven.
In the literary world, the name is associated with George Jean Nathan (1882-1958), an American drama critic and editor who co-founded the influential magazine The American Mercury. Robert Nathan (1894-1985), an American novelist and poet, is also remembered for his works such as "The Bishop's Wife" and "Portrait of Jennie."
During the 20th century, the surname gained further recognition through individuals like Baroness Susan Aurelia Isadora Nathan (1836-1922), a British philanthropist and social reformer, and Manny Nathan (1912-1998), an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball for several teams between 1938 and 1945.
While the surname Nathan has its roots in medieval England and gained prominence among Jewish communities, it has since been adopted by people of various cultures and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and richness of its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nathan
Among Census respondents with the surname Nathan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nathan 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 Nathan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.2% · 4,028
- Black or African American28.2% · 2,220
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.0% · 942
- Two or more races4.6% · 359
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 276
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nathan
Nathan 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
#4,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,300
+931 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 2.81
Rank movement Up 160 places
2020
#4,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,874
-426 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,444 | 7,369 | 2.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,284 | 8,300 | 2.81 | +931 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 160 places |
| 2020 | #4,353 | 7,874 | 2.63 | -426 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 69 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 Nathan 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 | #4,284 | #4,353 | -1.6% |
| Count | 8,300 | 7,874 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.81 | 2.63 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nathan bearers went from 8,300 to 7,874 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,284 to #4,353.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nathan
FAQ
Nathan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nathan?
Name Census estimates that about 9,029 living Americans carry the surname Nathan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,961 residents.
How common is Nathan?
Nathan ranks #4,353 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,874 people with the surname Nathan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,029), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Nathan.
Has Nathan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nathan went from 8,300 recorded bearers to 7,874. That is a decrease of 426 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,284 to #4,353.
What does the Census say about the background of Nathan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nathan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nathan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.2% (4,028 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nathan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.2%), Black (28.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%). 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 Nathan (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 Nathan mean?
Derived from a given name of Hebrew origin meaning "he has given" or "God has given." 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 Nathan (2.63 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 Nathan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.