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

Nance, 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 Nance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nance in America

Nance is the 1487th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nance surname appeared 24,018 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Nance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nance 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 Nance

The surname Nance originated in France and is derived from the Old French word "nance," meaning "to dance or leap." It is believed to have originated as a nickname given to someone who was particularly skilled or enthusiastic about dancing.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Nance can be found in medieval French records from the 13th century. One notable example is found in the Livre des Métiers, a registry of tradespeople in Paris, which mentions a "Robert le Nance" in 1268.

In England, the name Nance can be traced back to the 14th century, likely brought over by French immigrants or through trade and cultural exchange. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England, includes an entry for a "William le Nance" in Oxfordshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Nance was often spelled in various ways, such as Naunce, Naunces, and Nauntz, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Nance was Robert Nance (c. 1550-1615), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex and was known for his writings on religious topics.

Another prominent individual was John Nance (1633-1675), a English-born Quaker who immigrated to the American colonies and became a influential figure in the Quaker community in Pennsylvania.

In the 18th century, Samuel Nance (1744-1805) was a prominent American frontiersman and explorer who played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States. He is known for his explorations of the Cumberland Gap and his involvement in the settlement of Tennessee.

During the American Civil War, John Milton Nance (1825-1894) was a Union Army officer who served with distinction and received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his bravery in combat.

In the 20th century, Dorothy Nance (1904-1989) was an American actress and singer who appeared in numerous Broadway productions and films, including the classic musical "Oklahoma!" in 1955.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nance

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

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

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

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