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

Nissim, 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 Nissim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nissim in America

Nissim is the 62531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nissim surname appeared 320 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 Nissim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nissim 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 Nissim

The surname NISSIM is of Hebrew origin, derived from the word "nes" meaning "miracle" or "wonder." It is believed to have originated among Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the NISSIM surname can be traced back to the 11th century, with references found in historical documents from Egypt and the Levant region. One notable mention is in a manuscript from the Cairo Geniza, a repository of Jewish texts, which mentions a scholar named Nissim ben Jacob al-Nahrawani.

In the 12th century, the NISSIM name appeared in records from the Jewish community of Spain, where it was sometimes spelled as "Nissim" or "Nissam." During this time, the Iberian Peninsula was a center of Jewish culture and learning, and the name may have been adopted by families of scholars or rabbis.

As Jewish communities migrated throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin, the NISSIM surname spread to other regions. In Italy, for instance, there are records of a prominent Jewish family named NISSIM residing in Venice in the 15th century, including Judah Nissim, a renowned rabbi and philosopher.

One of the most famous individuals with the NISSIM surname was Moses ben Nissim (1345-1410), a renowned Talmudic scholar and philosopher from Spain. His seminal work, "Sefer Derekh Emunah" (The Book of the Path of Faith), was a influential treatise on Jewish philosophy and theology.

Another notable figure was David Nissim (1822-1892), an Italian Jewish scholar and writer who authored several works on Jewish history and literature. He was born in Ferrara and later served as a librarian in Rome.

In the 19th century, the NISSIM surname can be found among Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in regions such as modern-day Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. One prominent individual from this era was Isaac Nissim Oliel (1824-1904), a renowned rabbi and scholar from Izmir, Turkey.

Today, the NISSIM surname is still prevalent among Jewish communities around the world, particularly those with roots in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region. While the name has maintained its Hebrew origins, it has also been adopted by non-Jewish individuals in various countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nissim

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

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

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

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