Nachman
Of Hebrew origin, meaning "comforter" or "consoler".
Name Census estimates that about 697 living Americans carry the first name Nachman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nachman today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nachman births was 2012 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nachman. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
697
~ 1 in 491,757 Americans
Peak year
2012
32 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,273
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Nachman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nachman from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 226 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nachman remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nachman by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nachman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nachmans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nachman
The name Nachman has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "nacham," which means "to comfort" or "to console." The name Nachman is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, when Hebrew names were commonly used among Jewish communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nachman can be found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. The Talmud mentions a sage named Nachman bar Yaakov, who lived in the 3rd century CE and was known for his wisdom and teachings.
During the Middle Ages, the name Nachman gained popularity among Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. One notable figure from this period was Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810), a renowned Hasidic rabbi and founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. His teachings and writings, particularly the collection known as "Likutey Moharan," have had a lasting impact on Hasidic Judaism.
In the 19th century, the name Nachman was also used by several prominent Jewish scholars and writers. One example is Nachman Krochmal (1785-1840), a philosopher and historian who made significant contributions to the study of Jewish history and thought.
Another notable figure with the name Nachman was Nachman Syrkin (1868-1924), a Zionist leader and theorist who played a crucial role in the early development of the Labor Zionist movement.
In the 20th century, the name Nachman was carried by individuals like Nachman Avigad (1905-1992), an Israeli archaeologist and professor who made important discoveries in the excavations of Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter.
It is worth mentioning that while the name Nachman has its roots in Hebrew and Jewish culture, it has also been adopted by individuals of other backgrounds, particularly in regions with significant Jewish populations or influences.
People
Nachman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nachman as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nachman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nachman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 697 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nachman going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 491,757 US residents.
Is Nachman a common name?
We classify Nachman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 711 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nachman most popular?
The single biggest year for Nachman was 2012, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nachman is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nachman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nachman in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.