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

Nater, 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 Nater surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nater in America

Nater is the 42720th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nater surname appeared 507 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 Nater.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nater 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 Nater

The surname Nater has its origins in Switzerland, where it first emerged in the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Swiss-German word "natter," meaning "adder" or "viper," possibly indicating that the original bearer of the name lived near a place where these reptiles were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nater surname can be found in the town of Aegerten, near Bern, Switzerland. In 1489, a document mentions a certain Hans Nater, who was likely a local resident or landowner.

As the Nater family spread across Switzerland, variations in spelling arose, including Nather, Natther, and Natherer. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations of the name.

In the 17th century, the Nater surname appears in several historical records from the Swiss cantons of Bern and Solothurn. For instance, a Johannes Nater was born in Solothurn in 1623, and a Maria Nater was recorded in the parish records of Bern in 1671.

Over the centuries, a few notable individuals have borne the Nater surname. One such person was Johann Jakob Nater (1753-1830), a Swiss mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of geodesy and participated in the first triangulation survey of Switzerland.

Another prominent figure was Johann Nater (1790-1864), a Swiss-born German painter and lithographer who specialized in portraiture and genre scenes. His works can be found in several museums across Germany and Switzerland.

In the 19th century, the Nater name appeared in the United States, likely due to Swiss immigration. One noteworthy American with this surname was John Nater (1829-1900), a Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army and later became a prominent businessman in Wisconsin.

Other historical figures include Theodor Nater (1860-1947), a Swiss theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics, and Carl Nater (1874-1951), a Swiss architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the canton of Bern.

While the Nater surname may not be among the most common, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its Swiss roots and the various individuals who have carried this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nater

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

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

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

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