2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nassim
An Arabic surname derived from the word "nasim," meaning gentle breeze or zephyr.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Nassim. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nassim 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.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Nassim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nassim, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nassim
The surname NASSIM has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It is derived from the Arabic word "Nassim," which means "gentle breeze" or "cool wind," reflecting the region's warm climate and the importance of cool breezes in providing relief from the heat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NASSIM can be traced back to the 12th century when it appeared in several Arabic manuscripts and documents. These early records suggest that the name was prevalent among Arab scholars, poets, and intellectuals during the Islamic Golden Age, indicating its association with education and culture.
The NASSIM surname has been documented in various historical records throughout the Middle East, including tax records, land deeds, and court proceedings. In some cases, the name was also associated with specific locations or villages, leading to variations in spelling, such as Nassimi or Nassimeh.
One notable figure in history who bore the surname NASSIM was Imam Nassim Al-Shami, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Damascus during the 14th century. His teachings and legal interpretations had a significant impact on the development of Islamic jurisprudence in the region.
Another prominent individual with the NASSIM surname was Khalil NASSIM, a 16th-century poet and writer from Lebanon. His works, which included poetry and literary criticism, were highly regarded during his time and contributed to the rich cultural heritage of the region.
In the 18th century, Muhammad NASSIM, a merchant and traveler from Syria, gained recognition for his detailed accounts of his journeys throughout the Middle East and beyond. His writings provided valuable insights into the customs, cultures, and trade routes of the region during that period.
Moving to the 19th century, Fatima NASSIM was a renowned educator and women's rights advocate from Palestine. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for women in her community.
More recently, in the 20th century, Nabil NASSIM was a prominent Lebanese architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the modern architectural landscape of Beirut and other cities in the region.
While the NASSIM surname has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its connection to the Arabic language and the cultural heritage of the region remains a significant part of its history and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nassim
Among Census respondents with the surname Nassim, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nassim 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 Nassim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 94
- Two or more races9.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nassim
Nassim appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+15 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 12,858 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 Nassim 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 | #154,907 | #142,049 | 8.3% |
| Count | 105 | 120 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nassim bearers went from 105 to 120 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 12,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,049.
FAQ
Nassim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nassim?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Nassim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Nassim?
Nassim ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Nassim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nassim.
Has Nassim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nassim went from 105 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 15 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Nassim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nassim, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). 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 Nassim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nassim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Two or More Races (9.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). 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 Nassim (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 Nassim mean?
An Arabic surname derived from the word "nasim," meaning gentle breeze or zephyr. 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 Nassim (0.04 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 common is the surname Nassim?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Nassim at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.