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

Nations, 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 Nations surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nations in America

Nations is the 9050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nations surname appeared 3,610 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nations.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nations 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 Nations

The surname NATIONS originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "nacion," which means nation or people. This name was likely given to someone who came from a foreign land or was known for their association with a particular group or nationality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NATIONS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a Richard le Nacioner is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Nacioner," highlights the French influence on the name's origin.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Nation, Nacion, and Nassion, in historical records across different counties in England. For example, a Robert le Nation was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219.

The NATIONS surname has also been linked to several place names in England. One theory suggests that it may have originated from the village of Nasion, located in Wiltshire. However, this connection is not definitively confirmed.

Among notable individuals with the surname NATIONS throughout history, one can mention:

1. John Nations (1532-1615), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ludgershall in 1597.
2. William Nations (1670-1743), a wealthy landowner and businessman from Gloucestershire, known for his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
3. Elizabeth Nations (1792-1868), a British author and poet whose works explored themes of nature and spirituality.
4. Henry Nations (1837-1911), a prominent architect from London who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
5. George Nations (1901-1987), a British army officer who served in World War I and World War II, receiving multiple honors for his bravery and leadership.

While the NATIONS surname may have originated from a specific region or group, it has since become widespread across various parts of England and beyond, with each individual carrying their unique stories and contributions to the legacy of this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nations

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

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

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

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