Natan last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Natan

A Hebrew surname meaning "gift" or "given."

Natan, 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 Natan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Natan in America

Natan is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Natan surname appeared 217 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 Natan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Natan 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 86005 90252 -4.82%
Count 217 190 13.27%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.07 0.00%

The history of the last name Natan

The surname NATAN is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in areas with a strong Jewish presence. It is derived from the Hebrew name Nathan, which means "he gave" or "gift of God." The name has its roots in ancient Hebrew and biblical references.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NATAN can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. The prophet Nathan played a significant role in the life of King David, acting as his advisor and confidant. This association with a prominent biblical figure likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the name among Jewish communities.

During the Middle Ages, the surname NATAN was prevalent in Jewish communities across Europe, particularly in regions such as Germany, Poland, and Russia. As Jews migrated and settled in different parts of the world, the name spread and underwent various spelling variations, including Natan, Natann, and Natanson.

In the 14th century, a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher named Levi ben Gershon, also known as Gersonides or Ralbag, bore the surname NATAN. He was born in 1288 in Bagnols, France, and made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and biblical commentary.

Another notable figure with the surname NATAN was Rabbi Nathan Nata Spira, a 16th-century Polish Jewish scholar and mystic. He was born in Cracow, Poland, in 1585 and is known for his teachings on ethics and mysticism, as well as his work on the Talmud.

In the 19th century, Marc Natan Bloch, a French historian and medieval scholar, was born in 1886 in Lyon, France. He is renowned for his contributions to the Annales School of historical writing and his groundbreaking work on feudalism and rural life in medieval Europe.

Another individual of note with the surname NATAN was Bernard Natan, a Romanian-born French film producer and director. Born in 1886 in Bucharest, he played a significant role in the development of the French film industry in the 1920s and 1930s.

The surname NATAN has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations throughout history. For example, the town of Natanya in Israel is believed to have derived its name from the biblical figure Nathan.

While the surname NATAN has its roots in ancient Hebrew and Jewish traditions, it has since been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds and cultures, reflecting the diverse and widespread nature of the Jewish diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Natan

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

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 Natan was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 55.76% 121
Non-Hispanic Black Only 4.15% 9
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 8.29% 18
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 21.66% 47
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.07% 11
Hispanic Origin 5.07% 11

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 Natan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 55.76% 48.95% 13.01%
Black 4.15% 4.21% -1.44%
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.29% 10.00% -18.70%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 21.66% 27.89% -25.15%
Two or More Races 5.07% 6.32% -21.95%
Hispanic 5.07% 2.63% 63.38%

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

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

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"Natan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 17, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/natan-surname-popularity/.

"Natan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/natan-surname-popularity/. Accessed 17 July, 2025

Natan last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/natan-surname-popularity/.

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