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

Nistor, 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 Nistor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nistor in America

Nistor is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nistor surname appeared 192 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 Nistor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nistor 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 Nistor

The surname Nistor has its origins in Romania, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Romanian word "nistor," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature or a younger child.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nistor can be found in a document from the Moldavian Principality, dated around 1450. This document mentions a certain "Nistor Lupul," who was a landowner in the region. The name also appears in various other historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries, primarily in the areas now known as Moldova and Wallachia.

In the 17th century, the name Nistor was particularly prevalent in the town of Târgu Neamț, located in the northeastern part of modern-day Romania. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged from this area, including Nistor Ureche, a Moldavian chronicler and writer who lived from around 1590 to 1660. His work, "Letopisețul Țării Moldovei" (The Chronicle of the Moldavian Land), is considered one of the earliest and most important historical works in Romanian literature.

Another prominent figure with the surname Nistor was Ion Nistor, a historian and politician who lived from 1876 to 1962. He served as the Prime Minister of Romania for a brief period in 1935 and is known for his contributions to the study of Romanian history and culture.

In more recent times, the name Nistor has been associated with individuals from various walks of life. For instance, Gheorghe Nistor (1904-1994) was a celebrated Romanian composer and conductor, while Virgil Nistor (1939-2016) was a respected actor and theater director.

Furthermore, the name Nistor has connections to certain place names in Romania. For example, the village of Nistor-Român in Suceava County is believed to have derived its name from a person with this surname who may have been a local landowner or notable figure.

Throughout its history, the surname Nistor has undergone various spelling variations, such as Nistorescu, Nistorache, and Nistorescu, which likely emerged as a result of regional dialects and linguistic evolution over time. However, the core meaning and significance of the name remain rooted in its Romanian origins and the notion of smallness or youth.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nistor

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

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

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

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