2000
#10,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,958
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Nace
An English occupational surname referring to a person who makes fur-lined garments or works with furs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,379 Americans carry the last name Nace. That puts it at #10,408 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nace 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
3.4K
1 in 101,437
Census rank
#10,408
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,947 bearers of the surname Nace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10408th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nace
The surname NACE originated in the Czech Republic during the 13th century. It was derived from the Czech word "načěti", which means "to begin" or "to start". This name was likely given to individuals who were firstborn sons or those who started a new family line.
In the early records, the name was spelled as "Nacze" or "Nacé". It is believed that the earliest known bearer of this name was a man named Jan Nacze, who lived in the village of Strážnice in the region of Moravia around 1280.
One of the earliest documented references to the NACE surname can be found in the Moravian Land Records, which date back to the 14th century. These records mention a man named Mikuláš Nace, who was a landowner in the town of Kroměříž in 1327.
In the 15th century, the name began to appear in various manuscripts and records across different regions of the Czech lands. One notable figure from this era was Václav Nace, a prominent merchant from Prague, who lived between 1440 and 1512.
As the NACE family spread across Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Natz, Natze, and Nacé. In the 16th century, a German branch of the family emerged, and the name was spelled as "Natz".
One of the most famous individuals with the NACE surname was Jan Nace (1509-1572), a Czech Renaissance painter and engraver who was known for his religious works and portraiture.
Another notable figure was Jiří Nace (1645-1708), a Czech mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
In the 18th century, the NACE family produced several prominent figures in the fields of law and politics. One such individual was Josef Nace (1725-1801), a Czech lawyer and judge who served as the Mayor of Prague from 1780 to 1786.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in the field of literature. One of the most renowned writers with the NACE surname was Karel Nace (1828-1901), a Czech novelist and playwright who was known for his historical novels and plays.
Throughout history, the NACE surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scientists, lawyers, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to the Czech Republic, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nace
Among Census respondents with the surname Nace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nace 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 Nace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,732
- Two or more races3.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 62
- Black or African American0.9% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nace
Nace 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
#9,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,235
+277 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 80 places
2020
#10,408
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,947
-288 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 439 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,049 | 2,958 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,969 | 3,235 | 1.10 | +277 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 80 places |
| 2020 | #10,408 | 2,947 | 0.99 | -288 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 439 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 Nace 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 | #9,969 | #10,408 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,235 | 2,947 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 0.99 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nace bearers went from 3,235 to 2,947 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 439 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,969 to #10,408.
FAQ
Nace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nace?
Name Census estimates that about 3,379 living Americans carry the surname Nace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,437 residents.
How common is Nace?
Nace ranks #10,408 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,947 people with the surname Nace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Nace.
Has Nace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nace went from 3,235 recorded bearers to 2,947. That is a decrease of 288 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,969 to #10,408.
What does the Census say about the background of Nace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nace, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Nace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,732 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Nace (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 Nace mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who makes fur-lined garments or works with furs. 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 Nace (0.99 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 have the last name Nace?
You can see how many people have the last name Nace on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.