2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Niv
A surname potentially derived from the French word "nive" meaning snowy or from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Niv. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Niv 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Niv in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Niv, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Niv
The surname NIV has its origins in France, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "nif" or "nif-naf," which referred to a small or insignificant object. This name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was considered small in stature or lacking in importance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NIV can be found in the village of Nivelles, located in the Walloon region of Belgium. The town's name, derived from the Latin "Nivialae," meaning "snow waters," may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the NIV surname was Jean-Baptiste Niv, a French painter and engraver born in 1632. He was known for his religious artworks and portraits commissioned by the French nobility.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Louis Niv, a French architect born in 1721. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre de l'Odéon and the Église Saint-Roch.
In the 19th century, a French philosopher and writer named Charles Niv gained recognition for his works on ethics and social justice. He was born in 1812 and passed away in 1888.
Crossing over to the 20th century, a French politician named Paul Niv served as a member of the National Assembly from 1946 to 1958. He was born in 1892 and played a significant role in the post-World War II reconstruction efforts in France.
In more recent times, the French actor and director Gérard Niv, born in 1939, has achieved widespread acclaim for his contributions to the film industry. He has directed numerous critically acclaimed movies and won several prestigious awards throughout his career.
While the surname NIV may have originated as a nickname, it has evolved over centuries and has been carried by individuals from various professions, including artists, architects, writers, politicians, and entertainers. The name's roots can be traced back to the Old French language and the town of Nivelles in Belgium, showcasing its rich historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Niv
Among Census respondents with the surname Niv, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Niv 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 Niv surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Niv
Niv appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+33 bearers (+30.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 19,755 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-20 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +33 bearers (+30.8%) | Up 19,755 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,985 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 Niv 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 | #123,064 | #142,049 | -15.4% |
| Count | 140 | 120 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Niv bearers went from 140 to 120 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #142,049.
FAQ
Niv surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Niv?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Niv. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Niv?
Niv ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Niv. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Niv.
Has Niv become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Niv went from 140 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Niv?
Among Census respondents with the surname Niv, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Niv in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Niv appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Niv (2000, 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 Niv mean?
A surname potentially derived from the French word "nive" meaning snowy or from a place name. 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 Niv (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 people are called Niv?
See how many people have the surname Niv on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.