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

Nash, 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 Nash surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nash in America

Nash is the 569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nash surname appeared 58,714 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 20 people would have the surname Nash.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nash 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 Nash

The surname NASH is an ancient English name with origins dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'aesc', meaning ash tree, and was likely originally a topographic name given to someone who lived near an ash tree or ash grove.

In its earliest form, the name was spelled 'Atte-Nasch' or 'Attenasche', reflecting the common practice of adding the preposition 'atte' before surnames to indicate location. This spelling can be found in records from the early 14th century, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

The NASH surname is particularly well-documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records several landholders with variations of the name, such as Robert de Esnash and William de Esnesse, in various counties across England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the NASH surname was John atte Nassh, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Nasse, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1345.

As the name evolved over time, it took on various spellings, including Naish, Naysh, Nasche, and Nashe. Some notable figures from history who bore the NASH surname include Thomas Nash (1567-1648), a renowned English poet and playwright, and Richard Nash (1674-1761), a celebrated English entrepreneur and architect who helped establish the city of Bath as a fashionable resort.

Other notable NASH individuals include Beau Nash (1785-1858), an English professional cricketer, and John Nash (1752-1835), an English architect best known for designing the Regent's Park and Regent Street in London. Additionally, John Forbes Nash Jr. (1928-2015), an American mathematician and Nobel laureate, made significant contributions to game theory and differential geometry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nash

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

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

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

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