2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nejame
Of Arabic/Semitic origin, denoting someone from Nejm, a place name meaning "star" or "planet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Nejame. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nejame 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Nejame in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nejame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nejame
The surname NEJAME has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of Lebanon. It is believed to have originated around the 15th century, derived from the Arabic word "najm," which means "star" or "celestial body." This connection to celestial bodies suggests that the name may have been associated with astrology or astronomy in its early history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NEJAME surname can be found in a document from the year 1487, which mentions a merchant named Yusuf NEJAME who traded in spices and textiles between the cities of Beirut and Damascus. This document provides evidence that the name was already in use in the late 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the NEJAME surname appeared in various records and manuscripts from the region, including tax records and property deeds. One notable figure from this time period was Ibrahim NEJAME, a scholar and poet who lived in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon, in the late 16th century. His poetry, which often celebrated nature and the beauty of the night sky, may have been influenced by the celestial connotations of his surname.
In the 18th century, the NEJAME name gained prominence in the city of Sidon, Lebanon, where several members of the family were prominent merchants and landowners. One such individual was Ahmed NEJAME, who was born in 1734 and owned extensive vineyards and olive groves in the region.
As the NEJAME family dispersed throughout the Middle East and beyond, the surname began to take on various spellings and variations. In the 19th century, a branch of the family settled in Egypt, where the name was sometimes written as "Negm" or "Nugm," reflecting the Arabic pronunciation.
One notable figure from this period was Mahmoud NEJAME, born in 1825 in Beirut. He was a renowned scholar and translator who played a significant role in bridging the cultural and intellectual gap between the Middle East and Europe. His translations of classical Arabic literature into French and English helped introduce these works to a wider audience.
As the 20th century dawned, the NEJAME surname continued to spread across the globe, with family members settling in various parts of the world. One prominent individual was Khalil NEJAME, a Lebanese-American entrepreneur born in 1901 who founded a successful import-export business in New York City, facilitating trade between the United States and the Middle East.
Throughout its history, the NEJAME surname has been associated with a diverse range of individuals and professions, from scholars and poets to merchants and entrepreneurs. While the name's celestial origins may have faded over time, its enduring presence serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and history of the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nejame
Among Census respondents with the surname Nejame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nejame 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 Nejame surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nejame
Nejame 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
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Nejame 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nejame bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Nejame surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nejame?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Nejame. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Nejame?
Nejame ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Nejame. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Nejame.
Has Nejame become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nejame went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Nejame?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nejame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nejame in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nejame appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Black (2.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Nejame (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 Nejame mean?
Of Arabic/Semitic origin, denoting someone from Nejm, a place name meaning "star" or "planet". 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 Nejame (0.03 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 share the surname Nejame?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.