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

Nas, 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 Nas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nas in America

Nas is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nas surname appeared 132 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 Nas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nas 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 Nas

The surname NAS has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic language. It is believed to have originated around the 7th century CE, during the rise of the Islamic caliphates in the region.

One of the earliest known references to the name NAS can be found in the writings of the famous Arab poet Al-Mutanabbi, who lived from 915 to 965 CE. In his poetry, he mentioned a person with the surname NAS, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time period.

The name NAS is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "nas," which means "people" or "mankind." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who had a close association with people or was known for their sociability.

In the 11th century, a historical figure named Ibn Nas al-Baghdadi, born in 1002 CE, gained prominence as a renowned scholar and writer in Baghdad. His works on Islamic jurisprudence and literature were widely studied and circulated, further spreading the recognition of the surname NAS.

Another notable individual with the surname NAS was Nur ad-Din Mahmud Zanjani, who lived from 1156 to 1242 CE. He was a prominent Sufi mystic and poet from Persia, and his works were highly regarded in the Islamic world at the time.

During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa from the 14th to the 20th century, the surname NAS was also found among Turkish and Arabic populations. One such individual was Hasan Pasha Nas, a high-ranking Ottoman statesman and military leader who lived in the 16th century.

In more recent times, the surname NAS has been carried by several notable figures, such as the American rapper and actor Nas, born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones in 1973. His stage name reflects the initial letters of his given names, further highlighting the influence of the Arabic word "nas" in his moniker.

It is important to note that the surname NAS has likely undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, influenced by regional dialects and transliterations from Arabic to other languages. However, the core meaning and origin of the name seem to be rooted in the Arabic concept of "people" or "mankind."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nas

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

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

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

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