2000
#1,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.49
Uncommon Last name
Nance
Derived from an Old English byname meaning "bold" or "brave," or a place name meaning "the valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,156 Americans carry the last name Nance. That puts it at #1,532 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nance 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nance with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,104
Census rank
#1,532
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,809 bearers of the surname Nance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1532nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nance, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nance
Among Census respondents with the surname Nance, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nance 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 Nance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.0% · 15,744
- Black or African American21.7% · 4,946
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,102
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 789
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 112
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nance
Nance 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
#1,487
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,018
+1,118 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 8.14
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#1,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,809
-1,209 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 7.63
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,431 | 22,900 | 8.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,487 | 24,018 | 8.14 | +1,118 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #1,532 | 22,809 | 7.63 | -1,209 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 45 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 Nance 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 | #1,487 | #1,532 | -3.0% |
| Count | 24,018 | 22,809 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.14 | 7.63 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nance bearers went from 24,018 to 22,809 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,487 to #1,532.
FAQ
Nance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nance?
Name Census estimates that about 26,156 living Americans carry the surname Nance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,104 residents.
How common is Nance?
Nance ranks #1,532 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,809 people with the surname Nance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Nance.
Has Nance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nance went from 24,018 recorded bearers to 22,809. That is a decrease of 1,209 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,487 to #1,532.
What does the Census say about the background of Nance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nance, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.0% (15,744 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.0%), Black (21.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Nance (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 Nance mean?
Derived from an Old English byname meaning "bold" or "brave," or a place name meaning "the valley." 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 Nance (7.63 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 common is the surname Nance?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Nance on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.