Find out how popular the last name Nachman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nachman.

Nachman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nachman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nachman in America

Nachman is the 29793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nachman surname appeared 789 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nachman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nachman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nachman

The surname Nachman is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages in the regions of present-day Germany and Eastern Europe.

The name Nachman is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word "nacham," which means "to comfort" or "to console." It was likely initially used as a descriptive name or a nickname for someone known for their comforting or consoling nature.

In the 12th century, a prominent German rabbi named Moses ben Nachman, also known as Nachmanides, was a leader in the Jewish community. His use of the name Nachman may have contributed to its widespread adoption as a surname among Ashkenazi Jews.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nachman can be found in the Memorbuch (Memorial Book) of the Jewish community in Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century.

In the 16th century, Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810), a prominent Hasidic leader and mystic, was born with the surname Nachman. His teachings and writings had a profound impact on the Hasidic movement and the Jewish community.

Other notable individuals with the surname Nachman include:

1. Herschel Nachman (1898-1965), an American painter and sculptor known for his Cubist-inspired works.
2. Shlomo Nachman (1909-1983), an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) for several terms.
3. Arnold Nachman (1925-2018), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the National Bowling Centers Association.
4. Norma Nachman (1932-2022), an American activist and philanthropist who advocated for education and women's rights.
5. Adrienne Cooper Nachman (born 1942), an American author and playwright known for her plays exploring Jewish identity and family dynamics.

The surname Nachman has also been associated with various place names in Eastern Europe, such as Nachmanovich, a town in present-day Belarus, and Nachmanovka, a village in Ukraine.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nachman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nachman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nachman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nachman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nachman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nachman, please contact us.

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