2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nago
An occupational surname likely referring to someone who worked in navigation or seafaring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Nago. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nago 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Nago in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nago, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nago
The surname NAGO originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "nago," which means "naked" or "bare." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for going without clothing or being poorly dressed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NAGO surname can be found in a document from the city of Genoa, dated around the year 1250. This document mentions a person named Giovanni Nago, who was a merchant involved in the trade of textiles and spices.
Another early reference to the NAGO name appears in a manuscript from the Archivio di Stato di Firenze, dating back to the late 14th century. This document records a legal dispute between a man named Niccolò Nago and a local landowner over the ownership of a vineyard.
In the 15th century, the NAGO surname gained some prominence in the Italian city of Siena. A notable figure from this time was Matteo Nago, a renowned sculptor and architect who was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the city.
During the Renaissance period, a branch of the NAGO family settled in the Republic of Venice. One of the most famous members of this lineage was Antonio Nago, a celebrated painter who lived from 1480 to 1554. His works, which included religious frescoes and portraits, can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, the NAGO surname made its way to the island of Sicily. A notable figure from this time was Giuseppe Nago, who was born in Palermo in 1632 and became a respected scholar and author. His most famous work, "Della Nobiltà Siciliana," was a comprehensive study of the noble families of Sicily.
As the centuries passed, the NAGO name continued to spread across Italy and other parts of Europe. However, it remained most prevalent in the regions where it originated, particularly in the northern and central parts of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nago
Among Census respondents with the surname Nago, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nago 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 Nago surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.5% · 75
- Black or African American12.5% · 15
- Two or more races11.7% · 14
- White9.2% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nago
Nago 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+13 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,104 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 3,104 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,337 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 Nago 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 | #134,712 | #142,049 | -5.4% |
| Count | 125 | 120 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nago bearers went from 125 to 120 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #142,049.
FAQ
Nago surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nago?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Nago. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Nago?
Nago ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Nago. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nago.
Has Nago become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nago went from 125 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Nago?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nago, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (11.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nago in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nago appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.5%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (11.7%). 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 Nago (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 Nago mean?
An occupational surname likely referring to someone who worked in navigation or seafaring. 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 Nago (0.04 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 are called Nago?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Nago on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.