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

Nao, 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 Nao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nao in America

Nao is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nao surname appeared 161 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 Nao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nao 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 Nao

The surname NAO has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Portugal and Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "navus," meaning "vigorous" or "zealous." This name was likely given to individuals who displayed exceptional energy or enthusiasm in their pursuits.

In the 13th century, the name Nao appeared in records from the region of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. During this time, surnames were becoming more common, and many were derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or geographic locations. The earliest known bearer of the surname Nao was João Nao, a merchant from the city of Santiago de Compostela, who was mentioned in a trade document dated 1285.

By the 15th century, the name had spread to other parts of the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal. One notable figure was Pedro Nao, a Portuguese navigator and explorer who participated in the early voyages of discovery along the West African coast in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the name Nao was found in various historical records, such as the Livro das Linhagens (Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical work compiled in the early 1300s. This document mentioned several individuals with the surname Nao, including Afonso Nao, a knight who served in the court of King Dinis I of Portugal (1279-1325).

Another important figure was Francisco Nao, a Spanish navigator and cartographer from Seville, who lived in the late 16th century. He is credited with creating one of the earliest detailed maps of the Pacific Ocean, known as the "Nao Map," which greatly influenced subsequent cartographic works.

During the 17th century, the Nao surname was also found in the Spanish colonies of the Americas. One notable individual was Juan Nao de la Puente, a Spanish soldier and explorer who helped establish settlements in present-day Colombia and Venezuela in the early 1600s.

Throughout the centuries, the Nao surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including writers, artists, and military figures. For example, Ignacio Nao was a Spanish painter and engraver active in the late 18th century, known for his religious works and portraiture.

In the 19th century, Manuel Nao was a prominent Portuguese writer and journalist who played a significant role in the literary and cultural movements of his time. He was born in 1825 and is recognized for his contributions to the development of the Portuguese romantic movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nao

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

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

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

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