2000
#14,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,866
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Nath
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "natha," meaning "lord" or "protector."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,737 Americans carry the last name Nath. That puts it at #9,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,719 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nath 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nath with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,719
Census rank
#9,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,259 bearers of the surname Nath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nath
The surname Nath has its origins in India, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "natha," which means "lord" or "protector." The name is believed to have originated among the Brahmin caste in the northern and central regions of the subcontinent.
One of the earliest documented references to the Nath surname can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Persian manuscript commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The work mentions several individuals with the surname Nath who held positions of authority during the reign of Akbar.
In the 17th century, the Nath surname appeared in various local records and historical documents from the region now known as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Some notable individuals from this period include Pandit Gokul Nath (1600-1680), a renowned scholar and poet, and Swami Vishnu Nath (1635-1710), a revered spiritual leader.
During the 18th century, the Nath surname gained prominence in the region of Bengal, where several families with this name held influential positions in local administration and society. One such figure was Raja Ram Nath (1720-1785), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several temples and educational institutions.
In the 19th century, the Nath surname continued to be well-represented among the educated and professional classes in various parts of India. Notable individuals from this period include Lala Shyam Nath (1810-1875), a prominent social reformer and educationist, and Sir Ganesh Nath (1850-1920), a distinguished lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
As India entered the modern era, the Nath surname continued to be associated with achievements in various fields. Some notable figures include Dr. Radha Nath (1890-1970), a pioneering scientist who made significant contributions to the field of plant genetics, and Govind Nath (1915-1992), a renowned artist and sculptor whose works are celebrated for their unique blend of traditional and modern styles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nath
Among Census respondents with the surname Nath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nath 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 Nath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander63.4% · 2,065
- White28.1% · 917
- Two or more races4.1% · 132
- Black or African American2.3% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nath
Nath 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
#12,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,570
+704 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 2,495 places
2020
#9,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,259
+689 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 2,589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,622 | 1,866 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,127 | 2,570 | 0.87 | +704 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 2,495 places |
| 2020 | #9,538 | 3,259 | 1.09 | +689 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 2,589 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 Nath 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 | #12,127 | #9,538 | 21.3% |
| Count | 2,570 | 3,259 | 26.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 1.09 | 25.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nath bearers went from 2,570 to 3,259 (+26.8% change). The surname moved up 2,589 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,127 to #9,538.
FAQ
Nath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nath?
Name Census estimates that about 3,737 living Americans carry the surname Nath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,719 residents.
How common is Nath?
Nath ranks #9,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,259 people with the surname Nath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nath.
Has Nath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nath went from 2,570 recorded bearers to 3,259. That is an increase of 689 (+26.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,127 to #9,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Nath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.4% (2,065 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (63.4%), White (28.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Nath (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 Nath mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "natha," meaning "lord" or "protector." 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 Nath (1.09 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 have the last name Nath?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Nath at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.