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

Nation, 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 Nation surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nation in America

Nation is the 4940th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nation surname appeared 7,125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Nation.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nation 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 Nation

The surname NATION is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "nacion" which means "birth" or "race". It is believed to have been initially used as a nickname for someone who was from a foreign land or a different cultural background.

The earliest known record of the surname NATION dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a person named William Nacion was mentioned. During the Middle Ages, the surname was also found in various forms such as Nacion, Natioun, and Nacyon.

One notable historical reference to the surname NATION can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as a place name in Hertfordshire. The entry suggests that the name may have been derived from a particular location or settlement.

In the 14th century, the surname NATION appeared in several legal documents and charters, including the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1347, which mentioned a John Nacion. Around the same period, a Richard Nacion was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332.

Among the earliest known bearers of the surname NATION was John Nation, who was born in Wiltshire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the surname in the following centuries.

Another notable figure with the surname NATION was Sir Thomas Nation (1546-1619), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. He was also appointed as a Justice of the Peace for Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, the surname NATION gained recognition through the works of Robert Nation (1636-1695), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious texts and sermons.

During the 18th century, a prominent bearer of the surname was John Nation (1715-1789), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several battles during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

Another significant figure with the surname NATION was Sir Michael Nation (1786-1857), a British army officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Sierra Leone from 1838 to 1851.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nation

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

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

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

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