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

Nanny, 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 Nanny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nanny in America

Nanny is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nanny surname appeared 330 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 Nanny.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nanny 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 Nanny

The surname Nanny originated in England in the late medieval period, deriving from the Middle English word "nanny" which meant a nurse, nursemaid, or childminder. It may have initially been an occupational surname given to someone who worked in this profession.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Nanny, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings such as Nany, Nanney, and Nanni in records from Yorkshire and Lancashire. These variations suggest the name may have had multiple origins or evolved through different regional dialects.

The Nanny surname is also found in early tax and court records from the 15th and 16th centuries, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire in 1524, which mention a Robert Nanny.

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Nanny (c.1508-1557), who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer under Queen Mary I. He was born in Cheshire and played a significant role in the administration of royal finances during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the Nanny surname appears in parish records from various counties, including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One example is the baptism of John Nanny in Pitton, Wiltshire, in 1634.

Another notable figure with this surname was John Nanny (c.1650-1712), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire. He was involved in trade with the American colonies and owned significant property in the Cotswolds.

During the 18th century, the Nanny surname continued to be recorded across various regions of England, with concentrations in the Midlands and northern counties. One example is William Nanny (1725-1796), a farmer from Staffordshire.

In the 19th century, the Nanny surname can be found in census records and birth registers across the country. One notable individual was Mary Ann Nanny (1838-1915), a philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire who worked to improve conditions for the poor and advocated for women's rights.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nanny

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

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

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

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