2000
#12,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Narcisse
A French surname derived from the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, suggesting vanity, self-absorption, or beauty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,258 Americans carry the last name Narcisse. That puts it at #10,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,204 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Narcisse 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
3.3K
1 in 105,204
Census rank
#10,734
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,841 bearers of the surname Narcisse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Narcisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Narcisse
The surname Narcisse originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word 'Narcissus', which refers to the daffodil flower. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with a vain or self-absorbed personality, similar to the Greek mythological figure Narcissus.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Narcisse de la Tour, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a courtier and advisor to King Louis IX of France. The name also appears in various medieval documents and records from the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Narcisse was associated with several notable figures. Jean Narcisse, a French poet and playwright, was born in 1560 and known for his works that celebrated the natural world and pastoral themes.
In the 17th century, Claude Narcisse, a French botanist and physician, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties. He was born in 1623 and is known for his extensive herbarium collection and writings on botany.
The surname Narcisse also has a connection to the French philosopher and writer, Nicolas Narcisse Bouillet, who lived from 1799 to 1865. He is best known for his works on education and his influential dictionary of universal knowledge.
Another prominent figure with the surname Narcisse was Marie-Louise Narcisse, a French soprano and operatic singer who lived from 1819 to 1893. She performed at some of the most prestigious opera houses in Europe, including the Paris Opera.
While the surname Narcisse originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and the Caribbean, particularly through French colonial expansion and migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narcisse
Among Census respondents with the surname Narcisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Narcisse 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 Narcisse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.7% · 2,521
- Two or more races4.4% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 103
- White2.6% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Narcisse
Narcisse 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
#11,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,774
+524 bearers (+23.3%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 1,253 places
2020
#10,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,841
+67 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,624 | 2,250 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,371 | 2,774 | 0.94 | +524 bearers (+23.3%) | Up 1,253 places |
| 2020 | #10,734 | 2,841 | 0.95 | +67 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 637 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 Narcisse 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 | #11,371 | #10,734 | 5.6% |
| Count | 2,774 | 2,841 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.95 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Narcisse bearers went from 2,774 to 2,841 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 637 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,371 to #10,734.
FAQ
Narcisse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Narcisse?
Name Census estimates that about 3,258 living Americans carry the surname Narcisse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,204 residents.
How common is Narcisse?
Narcisse ranks #10,734 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,841 people with the surname Narcisse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,258), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Narcisse.
Has Narcisse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Narcisse went from 2,774 recorded bearers to 2,841. That is an increase of 67 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,371 to #10,734.
What does the Census say about the background of Narcisse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Narcisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Narcisse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,521 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Narcisse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Narcisse (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 Narcisse mean?
A French surname derived from the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, suggesting vanity, self-absorption, or beauty. 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 Narcisse (0.95 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 Narcisse?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.