2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Natelson
The name refers to a person from the place Nateley in Hampshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Natelson. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Natelson 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Natelson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Natelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Natelson
The surname Natelson is believed to have originated in the late 15th century in the region of Pomerania, which is now located in modern-day Poland and Germany. It is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word "natel," meaning "kinsman" or "relative," suggesting that the name may have been initially used to denote a familial relationship.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Kolberg (now Kolobrzeg, Poland) from the year 1487, where a certain Caspar Natelson is mentioned. This entry provides valuable insight into the early usage and spelling variations of the name.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Natelson surname began to spread across various parts of Europe, particularly in the Baltic regions and Scandinavia. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Natelson, a merchant from Riga (now in Latvia) who was active in the 1560s, and Erik Natelson, a Swedish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
As the name continued to disperse, it also underwent several spelling variations, such as Nattelson, Nattelsen, and Natelssen. These variations can be found in various historical records and documents from different regions.
In the 18th century, the Natelson surname gained prominence in the German states, with several notable figures emerging. Johann Friedrich Natelson (1719-1794) was a renowned German philosopher and theologian, while Carl Wilhelm Natelson (1765-1832) was a respected jurist and legal scholar.
Another significant figure was Karl Natelson (1778-1855), a German painter and engraver who gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various art collections across Europe.
As the centuries progressed, the Natelson surname continued to spread and evolve, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts. However, it is important to note that many of these historical records and accounts may have been subject to transcription errors or variations in spelling, which could affect the accuracy of specific details.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Natelson
Among Census respondents with the surname Natelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Natelson 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 Natelson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Natelson
Natelson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,810 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 16,810 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Natelson 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Natelson bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Natelson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Natelson?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Natelson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Natelson?
Natelson ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Natelson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Natelson.
Has Natelson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Natelson went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Natelson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Natelson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Natelson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Natelson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Natelson (2000, 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 Natelson mean?
The name refers to a person from the place Nateley in Hampshire, England. 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 Natelson (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 many people share the surname Natelson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.