2000
#92,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 185
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Narus
An Armenian surname originating from the Turkish word "nur" meaning "light" or "beam".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 190 Americans carry the last name Narus. That puts it at #112,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,803,970 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Narus 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
190
1 in 1,803,970
Census rank
#112,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
166
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 166 bearers of the surname Narus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 112515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Narus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Narus
The surname NARUS has its origins in Poland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "narew," which refers to the Narew River that runs through northeastern Poland. The name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived near or were associated with this river.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from geographic locations, occupations, or personal characteristics. The NARUS name likely originated as a locational surname, indicating the place of residence or origin of the bearer. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this surname lived in close proximity to the Narew River or one of its tributaries.
While there are no specific historical records or manuscripts that mention the NARUS surname in its earliest form, it is likely that variations of the name appeared in local parish records, tax rolls, and other administrative documents from the region during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname NARUS was Jan Narus, a Polish noble born in the late 16th century. He was a prominent landowner in the Podlasie region of northeastern Poland and played a significant role in local politics and administration.
Another notable bearer of the NARUS name was Michał Narus, a Polish military officer who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army during the 17th century. He fought in several battles against the Swedish and Russian forces during the Polish-Swedish wars of the mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, Katarzyna Narus was a prominent figure in the Polish resistance movement against the Prussian and Russian partitions of Poland. She was known for her courage and determination in supporting the cause of Polish independence.
During the 19th century, Józef Narus was a respected scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Slavic languages. He authored several books and articles on the subject and taught at universities in Warsaw and Krakow.
Another notable figure was Stanisław Narus, a Polish artist and painter who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting the rural scenery of northeastern Poland.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the NARUS surname throughout history, but it is a name with deep roots in Polish culture and tradition, likely originating from the geographic region surrounding the Narew River.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narus
Among Census respondents with the surname Narus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Narus 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 Narus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Narus
Narus 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
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
-21 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 15,982 places
2020
#112,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
+2 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #92,217 | 185 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | -21 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 15,982 places |
| 2020 | #112,515 | 166 | 0.06 | +2 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 4,316 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 Narus 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 | #108,199 | #112,515 | -4.0% |
| Count | 164 | 166 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Narus bearers went from 164 to 166 (+1.2% change). The surname moved down 4,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #112,515.
FAQ
Narus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Narus?
Name Census estimates that about 190 living Americans carry the surname Narus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,803,970 residents.
How common is Narus?
Narus ranks #112,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 166 people with the surname Narus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Narus.
Has Narus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Narus went from 164 recorded bearers to 166. That is an increase of 2 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #108,199 to #112,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Narus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Narus, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Narus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Narus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Narus (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 Narus mean?
An Armenian surname originating from the Turkish word "nur" meaning "light" or "beam". 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 Narus (0.06 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 last name Narus?
You can see how many people have the surname Narus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.