2000
#15,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,785
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Nanez
A surname referring to the small stature of the person it was originally given to.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,463 Americans carry the last name Nanez. That puts it at #13,530 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,161 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nanez 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
2.5K
1 in 139,161
Census rank
#13,530
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,148 bearers of the surname Nanez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13530th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nanez
The surname NANEZ has its origins in Spain, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "nana," which means "little girl" or "small child." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or patronymic.
The earliest recorded instances of the NANEZ surname can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries in regions such as Castile, Andalusia, and Aragon. It is possible that the name was initially associated with certain families or lineages in these areas.
One notable mention of the NANEZ name appears in the chronicles of Alfonso X, the King of Castile and León, who reigned from 1252 to 1284. The chronicles refer to a certain Rodrigo Nanez, a nobleman and military leader who participated in the Reconquista against the Moors.
During the 15th century, the NANEZ surname gained further prominence with the birth of Juan Nanez Valdés (1470-1538), a Spanish Renaissance humanist and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 16th century, Pedro Nanez Vela (1525-1592) was a notable Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He is known for his role in the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538 and later served as the governor of several provinces in present-day Peru and Bolivia.
Another notable figure bearing the NANEZ surname was María Nanez de Almeida (1560-1628), a Portuguese noble and landowner. She is remembered for her philanthropic efforts and contributions to the development of education and infrastructure in various regions of Portugal.
In the 18th century, Antonio Nanez Fernández (1725-1802) was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. He was a prominent figure in the artistic circles of Madrid and served as a court painter to King Charles III.
Throughout its history, the NANEZ surname has also been associated with various place names and localities in Spain, such as Navaez, Navalcarnero, and Navajas, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nanez
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nanez 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 Nanez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.9% · 1,932
- White6.1% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- Two or more races0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nanez
Nanez 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
#15,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,839
+54 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 673 places
2020
#13,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,148
+309 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 2,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,154 | 1,785 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,827 | 1,839 | 0.62 | +54 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 673 places |
| 2020 | #13,530 | 2,148 | 0.72 | +309 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 2,297 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 Nanez 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 | #15,827 | #13,530 | 14.5% |
| Count | 1,839 | 2,148 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.72 | 15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nanez bearers went from 1,839 to 2,148 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 2,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,827 to #13,530.
FAQ
Nanez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nanez?
Name Census estimates that about 2,463 living Americans carry the surname Nanez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,161 residents.
How common is Nanez?
Nanez ranks #13,530 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,148 people with the surname Nanez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,463), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nanez.
Has Nanez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nanez went from 1,839 recorded bearers to 2,148. That is an increase of 309 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,827 to #13,530.
What does the Census say about the background of Nanez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nanez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,932 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nanez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.9%), White (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Nanez (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 Nanez mean?
A surname referring to the small stature of the person it was originally given to. 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 Nanez (0.72 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 have the surname Nanez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.