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

Nassif, 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 Nassif surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nassif in America

Nassif is the 21272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nassif surname appeared 1,232 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 Nassif.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nassif 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 Nassif

The surname Nassif has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the region of Syria and Lebanon. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Nassaf," which means "weaver" or "one who makes cloth."

This surname likely came into existence during the medieval period when many families adopted occupational surnames to distinguish themselves from others. The Nassif family may have been involved in the textile industry, either as weavers or merchants dealing in cloth and fabrics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nassif can be found in the historical records of Damascus, Syria, dating back to the 16th century. These records mention a prominent merchant family by the name of Nassif who were engaged in the trade of fine silk and cotton fabrics.

In the 17th century, the Nassif family had established themselves as successful textile merchants in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon. They were known for their expertise in producing and trading high-quality textiles, which were widely sought after in the region.

Historically, several notable individuals have borne the surname Nassif. One such individual was Nassif Yaziji (1800-1871), a renowned Lebanese poet, writer, and scholar who played a significant role in the revival of Arabic literature during the Nahda, or the Arab Renaissance.

Another prominent figure was Nassif Al-Khazin (1835-1900), a Syrian astronomer and mathematician who made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was renowned for his work on the motion of the Moon.

In the 20th century, Nassif Mallouf (1911-1982), a Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist, left a lasting impact on the Arab-American community. He founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and played a pivotal role in promoting Arab culture and advocating for the rights of Arab Americans.

Moving to more recent times, Rima Fakih (born 1985), a Lebanese-American beauty queen, gained international recognition when she won the Miss USA 2010 pageant, becoming the first Arab-American to hold the title.

It is worth noting that the surname Nassif has evolved over time, with various spellings and variations appearing in different regions. Some of the alternate spellings include Nassif, Nassif, Nasif, and Nassif, reflecting the influence of local dialects and transliterations from Arabic to other languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nassif

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

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

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

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