2000
#12,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,192
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Naber
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "naber," meaning a maker of wheel hubs or wells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,703 Americans carry the last name Naber. That puts it at #12,551 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naber 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,805
Census rank
#12,551
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,357 bearers of the surname Naber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12551st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naber
The surname Naber originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "nabur," which means "neighbor." This suggests that the name was likely initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Naber surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Lubecensis, a collection of documents from the city of Lübeck, dating back to 1277. The name is listed as "Nabur," which further reinforces its connection to the Middle High German word.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Nabur," "Naber," and "Nauwer," in various German regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widely adopted across different parts of Germany.
One notable historical figure bearing the Naber surname was Johannes Naber, a German humanist scholar and writer who lived from 1508 to 1572. He was highly regarded for his work in translating and editing classical Greek and Latin texts.
Another individual of note was Matthias Naber, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1610 to 1670. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was particularly known for his work on comets.
In the 17th century, the Naber surname appeared in several Dutch records, likely due to the migration of German families to the Netherlands during that time period. One such example is Jan Naber, a Dutch painter who lived from 1627 to 1684 and was known for his portraits and historical scenes.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Johann Matthias Naber, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1726 to 1801. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote extensively on topics related to religion and ethics.
Finally, in the 19th century, there was Carl Naber, a German classical philologist and scholar who lived from 1841 to 1907. He is best known for his work on editing and publishing ancient Greek texts, particularly those of Flavius Arrianus and Flavius Philostratus.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naber
Among Census respondents with the surname Naber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Naber 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 Naber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,194
- Two or more races3.1% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naber
Naber 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
#12,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,571
+379 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 744 places
2020
#12,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,357
-214 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,868 | 2,192 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,124 | 2,571 | 0.87 | +379 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 744 places |
| 2020 | #12,551 | 2,357 | 0.79 | -214 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 427 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 Naber 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 | #12,124 | #12,551 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,571 | 2,357 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.79 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naber bearers went from 2,571 to 2,357 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 427 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,124 to #12,551.
FAQ
Naber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naber?
Name Census estimates that about 2,703 living Americans carry the surname Naber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,805 residents.
How common is Naber?
Naber ranks #12,551 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,357 people with the surname Naber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,703), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Naber.
Has Naber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naber went from 2,571 recorded bearers to 2,357. That is a decrease of 214 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,124 to #12,551.
What does the Census say about the background of Naber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naber, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Naber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Naber (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 Naber mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "naber," meaning a maker of wheel hubs or wells. 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 Naber (0.79 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 Naber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.