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

Nisa, 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 Nisa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nisa in America

Nisa is the 50851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nisa surname appeared 410 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nisa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nisa 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 Nisa

The surname NISA is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is likely derived from the Sanskrit word "nisha" or "nisa," which means "night." This suggests that the name may have been associated with professions or activities related to the night, such as night watchmen or astronomers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NISA can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. The document mentions a man named Nisa Khan, who served as a nobleman in Akbar's court.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname NISA was Mulla Nisa, a celebrated poet and scholar from Persia (modern-day Iran). He was renowned for his mastery of Persian literature and his contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.

During the 18th century, the NISA surname can be found in various Persian and Urdu literary works, indicating its presence among the intellectual and literary circles of the time.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname NISA was Mirza Nisa, a renowned Urdu poet and writer from Delhi. He was born in 1829 and is credited with introducing new literary styles and themes to Urdu poetry.

Another notable figure was Begum Nisa, a 19th-century noble woman from the princely state of Bhopal in central India. She was known for her philanthropic endeavors and her support for women's education.

As the NISA surname spread throughout the Indian subcontinent, it also acquired regional variations and alternate spellings, such as Nisha, Nisha, and Neesa, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the region.

While the surname NISA has its roots in South Asia, it has since been adopted by people of various ethnic backgrounds and cultures around the world, reflecting the global diaspora of the Indian community.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nisa

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

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

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

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