2000
#7,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,288
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Naquin
A French surname derived from the Old French word "cane," meaning "duck," likely referring to a duck breeder or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,142 Americans carry the last name Naquin. That puts it at #7,188 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naquin 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
5.1K
1 in 66,658
Census rank
#7,188
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,484 bearers of the surname Naquin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7188th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naquin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naquin
The surname Naquin has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Brittany. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "naquin," meaning "simpleton" or "fool." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who was perceived as naive or simple-minded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Saint-Malo, a city in Brittany, dating back to the late 15th century. The name appeared as "Naquin" and was likely used to refer to a resident of that area.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name began to spread beyond Brittany as families bearing the surname migrated to other parts of France and even to the French colonies in North America, particularly in what is now the state of Louisiana.
In historical records, the name Naquin has been associated with notable individuals. One such person was Jean-Baptiste Naquin, a French merchant and explorer who lived in the late 17th century. He was among the early settlers of the Louisiana Territory and played a role in establishing trade routes along the Mississippi River.
Another prominent figure was Pierre Naquin, a French-Canadian soldier and fur trader who lived in the late 18th century. He served in the French and Indian War and later became involved in the fur trade, establishing trading posts in the Great Lakes region.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Naquin name was Jean-Baptiste Naquin, a French-Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1854 to 1857.
The name Naquin has also been associated with various place names in France and Canada. For example, there is a town called Naquin in the department of Charente-Maritime, France. Additionally, there is a small community called Naquin in the province of Quebec, Canada, likely named after an early settler with the surname.
Over the centuries, the surname Naquin has undergone various spellings, such as Naquain, Naquayn, and Naquein, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naquin
Among Census respondents with the surname Naquin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Naquin 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 Naquin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9% · 3,538
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.7% · 436
- Two or more races5.8% · 261
- Black or African American2.8% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naquin
Naquin 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
#7,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,617
+329 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#7,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,484
-133 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,174 | 4,288 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,230 | 4,617 | 1.57 | +329 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #7,188 | 4,484 | 1.50 | -133 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 42 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 Naquin 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 | #7,230 | #7,188 | 0.6% |
| Count | 4,617 | 4,484 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.50 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naquin bearers went from 4,617 to 4,484 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,230 to #7,188.
FAQ
Naquin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naquin?
Name Census estimates that about 5,142 living Americans carry the surname Naquin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,658 residents.
How common is Naquin?
Naquin ranks #7,188 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,484 people with the surname Naquin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Naquin.
Has Naquin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naquin went from 4,617 recorded bearers to 4,484. That is a decrease of 133 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,230 to #7,188.
What does the Census say about the background of Naquin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naquin, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.7%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Naquin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (3,538 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naquin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (9.7%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Naquin (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 Naquin mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "cane," meaning "duck," likely referring to a duck breeder or hunter. 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 Naquin (1.50 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 share the surname Naquin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.