2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Naut
A variant of the English surname Knott, derived from an occupational name for a maker of knots or knotted ropes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Naut. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naut 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.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Naut in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naut, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naut
The surname "NAUT" is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated from the Old German word "nautr," which means "sailor" or "navigator." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been mariners, navigators, or individuals associated with maritime activities.
The name "NAUT" first appeared in historical records in the 14th century, with mentions of individuals bearing this surname in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the city of Hamburg, where a merchant named Johann Naut was documented in 1387.
In the 15th century, the name "NAUT" was found in the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Silesia (now part of Poland and Germany). This record includes a reference to a landowner named Henrich Naut, who lived in the town of Breslau (now Wrocław) in 1441.
During the 16th century, the surname "NAUT" gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was often spelled as "NAUT" or "NAUTA." One notable figure from this era was Rembrandt Naut, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived from 1541 to 1617.
In the 17th century, the name "NAUT" appeared in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Bavaria. One prominent individual was Johann Naut, a German theologian and philosopher who was born in 1630 and died in 1687.
As the centuries passed, the surname "NAUT" spread across Europe and beyond. In the 19th century, a notable bearer of this name was Friedrich Naut, a German-American inventor and engineer who lived from 1841 to 1907. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the modern typewriter.
Another noteworthy figure was Carl Naut, a German-American painter and art educator who was born in 1870 and died in 1945. He played a significant role in establishing the art department at the University of California, Berkeley.
In the 20th century, the surname "NAUT" continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions bearing this name. One example is Hans Naut, a Dutch football player who represented the Netherlands national team in the 1930s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naut
Among Census respondents with the surname Naut, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Naut 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 Naut surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.3% · 99
- White8.6% · 10
- Black or African American4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naut
Naut appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,879 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,879 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 Naut 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 | #143,149 | #145,028 | -1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 116 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naut bearers went from 116 to 116 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,879 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,028.
FAQ
Naut surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naut?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Naut. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Naut?
Naut ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Naut. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Naut.
Has Naut become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naut went from 116 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Naut?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naut, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.6%) and Black (4.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Naut in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naut appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.3%), White (8.6%), Black (4.3%). 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 Naut (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 Naut mean?
A variant of the English surname Knott, derived from an occupational name for a maker of knots or knotted ropes. 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 Naut (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Naut?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.