2000
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Nascimento
A Portuguese surname referring to someone born on Christmas Day or to a place of birth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,078 Americans carry the last name Nascimento. That puts it at #8,842 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,050 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nascimento 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nascimento with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 84,050
Census rank
#8,842
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,556 bearers of the surname Nascimento in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8842nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nascimento, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nascimento
The surname Nascimento originated in Portugal and is derived from the Portuguese word "nascer," meaning "to be born." It first appeared as a descriptive surname referring to someone who was born under unusual or notable circumstances.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Nascimento can be found in Portuguese parish records dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. These records often included details about the individual's birth, such as the date, location, and any exceptional circumstances surrounding the event.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Nascimento was João Nascimento, a Portuguese explorer born in 1450 in the town of Bragança. He gained recognition for his expeditions along the coast of West Africa in the late 15th century.
Another notable figure was Diogo Nascimento, a 16th-century cartographer who created some of the earliest detailed maps of the Portuguese colonies in Brazil. His work was instrumental in the exploration and settlement of the region.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Father Manuel Nascimento, a Jesuit missionary who traveled to India and established several schools and churches in the region. He was known for his efforts in promoting education and spreading Christianity.
During the 18th century, José Nascimento was a prominent Portuguese architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Lisbon and other cities. His work is considered a prime example of the Baroque style prevalent in Portugal during that period.
In the 19th century, Antônio Nascimento was a Brazilian abolitionist and writer who played a significant role in the campaign against slavery in Brazil. He used his writing and public speeches to advocate for the rights of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
Throughout its history, the surname Nascimento has been associated with individuals from various professions, including explorers, artists, missionaries, and activists. Its origin as a descriptive surname related to birth circumstances has given it a rich cultural significance across Portugal and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nascimento
Among Census respondents with the surname Nascimento, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nascimento 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 Nascimento surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.9% · 2,664
- Black or African American9.7% · 345
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 259
- Two or more races4.9% · 175
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nascimento
Nascimento 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
#11,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,829
+964 bearers (+51.7%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 3,449 places
2020
#8,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,556
+727 bearers (+25.7%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 2,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,628 | 1,865 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,179 | 2,829 | 0.96 | +964 bearers (+51.7%) | Up 3,449 places |
| 2020 | #8,842 | 3,556 | 1.19 | +727 bearers (+25.7%) | Up 2,337 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 Nascimento 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 | #11,179 | #8,842 | 20.9% |
| Count | 2,829 | 3,556 | 25.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 1.19 | 23.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nascimento bearers went from 2,829 to 3,556 (+25.7% change). The surname moved up 2,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,179 to #8,842.
FAQ
Nascimento surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nascimento?
Name Census estimates that about 4,078 living Americans carry the surname Nascimento. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,050 residents.
How common is Nascimento?
Nascimento ranks #8,842 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,556 people with the surname Nascimento. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,078), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Nascimento.
Has Nascimento become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nascimento went from 2,829 recorded bearers to 3,556. That is an increase of 727 (+25.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,179 to #8,842.
What does the Census say about the background of Nascimento?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nascimento, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Nascimento in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.9% (2,664 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nascimento appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.9%), Black (9.7%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Nascimento (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 Nascimento mean?
A Portuguese surname referring to someone born on Christmas Day or to a place of birth. 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 Nascimento (1.19 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 Nascimento?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Nascimento is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.