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

Nam, 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 Nam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nam in America

Nam is the 5569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nam surname appeared 6,244 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Nam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nam 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 Nam

The surname "Nam" has its origins in Vietnam, where it can be traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "nam," meaning "south," and was likely a descriptive name given to someone who lived in or came from the southern regions of the country.

In ancient Vietnamese records, the name "Nam" appears in various forms, such as "Nam Viet" and "Nam Quoc," both of which refer to the southern regions of what is now modern-day Vietnam. The earliest known reference to the surname "Nam" dates back to the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a Vietnamese historical text called "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "Nam" was Nguyen Nam, a Vietnamese scholar and poet who lived in the 17th century (1628-1687). He was renowned for his contributions to Vietnamese literature and his philosophical works.

Another notable figure with the surname "Nam" was Tran Nam, a Vietnamese general who played a crucial role in the Tay Son Rebellion of the late 18th century (1771-1802). He was instrumental in leading the rebel forces against the Nguyen lords and helped establish the Tay Son Dynasty, albeit briefly.

In the 19th century, Pham Nam Sach (1832-1902) was a prominent Vietnamese scholar and educator who advocated for educational reforms and the modernization of Vietnam's education system.

During the 20th century, Vo Nam (1890-1951) was a Vietnamese writer and journalist who played an influential role in the development of modern Vietnamese literature. He is particularly known for his works that explored the social and cultural changes in Vietnam during the colonial period.

More recently, Nam June Paik (1932-2006), a Korean-American artist, is widely regarded as a pioneer of video art and is credited with coining the term "electronic superhighway" to describe the global network of communication and information exchange.

While the surname "Nam" has its roots in Vietnam, it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and connection to the southern regions of Vietnam remain an integral part of its etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nam

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

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

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

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