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

Nassau, 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 Nassau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nassau in America

Nassau is the 84136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nassau surname appeared 223 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 Nassau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nassau 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 Nassau

The surname Nassau originates from the Netherlands and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Dutch place name "Nassauen," which referred to a former county and duchy in what is now Germany.

The name is believed to come from the Old High German word "nâh," meaning "near," and the word "ouwa," meaning "meadow" or "island." This suggests that the original meaning of Nassau may have been something along the lines of "near the meadow."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Nassau comes from a 13th-century document mentioning a nobleman named Walram of Nassau. The Nassau family went on to become one of the most prominent noble houses in Europe, ruling over various territories and playing a significant role in European history.

One notable member of the Nassau family was William III of Orange-Nassau, who was born in 1650 and became the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1689. He played a crucial role in the Glorious Revolution and the establishment of the Dutch Republic.

Another famous individual with the surname Nassau was Prince John Maurice of Nassau, born in 1604. He was a celebrated military commander and served as the governor of Dutch Brazil from 1637 to 1644.

In the 16th century, the Nassau family acquired the principality of Orange, leading to the formation of the House of Orange-Nassau. This branch of the family later ruled over the Netherlands and produced several Dutch monarchs.

The surname Nassau is also linked to various place names, such as Nassau, Germany, and Nassau County in New York, which was named after the Dutch Prince William of Orange-Nassau.

Other notable individuals with the surname Nassau include Henry III of Nassau-Beilstein (1483-1538), a German nobleman and military commander, and Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584-1647), a renowned Dutch military and political leader.

Throughout history, the surname Nassau has been associated with nobility, leadership, and power, reflecting the prominent role played by the Nassau family in shaping the course of European history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nassau

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

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

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

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