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

Nathan, 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 Nathan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nathan in America

Nathan is the 4284th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nathan surname appeared 8,300 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Nathan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nathan 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 Nathan

The surname Nathan is believed to have originated in medieval England, derived from the Hebrew male given name "Natan," which means "he gave" or "gift of God." The name gained popularity in England during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly among Jewish communities.

In its early forms, the surname was often spelled as "Natan" or "Nathane." Over time, variations such as "Nathen," "Nathans," and "Nathan" emerged, with the latter becoming the most common spelling. The name's widespread use was facilitated by the biblical figure Nathan, a prophet in the Old Testament.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nathan can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1175, which mentions a "Natan le Judeu" (Nathan the Jew). The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a "Simon Nathan" is recorded as living in Oxfordshire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Nathan. One of the earliest was Rabbi Isaac Nathan (c. 1115 - c. 1190), a French-Jewish scholar and biblical commentator who lived in the 12th century. Another prominent figure was Isaak Nathan (1790-1864), a German composer and music critic who played a significant role in promoting the works of Beethoven.

In the literary world, the name is associated with George Jean Nathan (1882-1958), an American drama critic and editor who co-founded the influential magazine The American Mercury. Robert Nathan (1894-1985), an American novelist and poet, is also remembered for his works such as "The Bishop's Wife" and "Portrait of Jennie."

During the 20th century, the surname gained further recognition through individuals like Baroness Susan Aurelia Isadora Nathan (1836-1922), a British philanthropist and social reformer, and Manny Nathan (1912-1998), an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball for several teams between 1938 and 1945.

While the surname Nathan has its roots in medieval England and gained prominence among Jewish communities, it has since been adopted by people of various cultures and backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and richness of its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nathan

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

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

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

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