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

Nahum, 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 Nahum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nahum in America

Nahum is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nahum surname appeared 269 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 Nahum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nahum 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 Nahum

The surname Nahum is believed to have originated in ancient Israel, derived from the Hebrew name Nachum, which means "comforter" or "consoler." The name is thought to have emerged around the 8th century BCE and is associated with the biblical prophet Nahum, who prophesied the downfall of the Assyrian Empire.

The earliest known record of the name Nahum can be found in the Book of Nahum in the Hebrew Bible, which is believed to have been written around 615 BCE. This book contains prophecies concerning the destruction of the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh.

In the Middle Ages, the name Nahum was relatively rare but was found in various Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. One notable figure from this period was Nahum ben Simai, a Jewish scholar and rabbi from Spain who lived in the 11th century.

During the Renaissance, the name Nahum gained some popularity among certain Christian communities, particularly in England and other parts of Western Europe. One notable figure from this time was Nahum Tate, an English poet laureate who lived from 1652 to 1715 and is best known for his adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear.

In the 19th century, the surname Nahum became more widespread, particularly among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. One notable figure from this period was Nahum Sokolow, a Zionist leader and writer who lived from 1859 to 1936 and played a significant role in the establishment of the state of Israel.

Another notable figure with the surname Nahum was Milton Nahum, a Brazilian-born American artist and sculptor who lived from 1913 to 2003 and was known for his abstract expressionist works.

While the surname Nahum is not as common as some other Jewish surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to ancient Israel and the biblical prophet who bears the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nahum

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

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 Nahum 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 Nahum 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 Nahum was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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