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

Niven, 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 Niven surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niven in America

Niven is the 20047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niven surname appeared 1,334 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 Niven.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niven 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 Niven

The surname Niven is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Naomhán, meaning "little saint" or "favourite." It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the ancient Scottish records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "Nevyn." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from the Gaelic word "naoimh," meaning "saint."

In the 14th century, the name Niven was associated with the Clan Macnab, a Highland Scottish clan based in the Breadalbane region of Perthshire. The Macnabs were known as fierce warriors and loyal supporters of the Scottish monarchy.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Niven surname began to spread throughout Scotland, with concentrations in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Scottish Borders. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Robert Niven, a merchant from Ayr who lived in the late 16th century, and John Niven, a Presbyterian minister from Lanarkshire in the early 17th century.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Niven surname became more widespread throughout the British Isles and beyond, as Scottish migrants and emigrants carried the name to various parts of the world. One notable Niven was David Niven (1910-1983), the acclaimed English actor and author who was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, and had a successful career in Hollywood.

Other notable individuals with the surname Niven include:

1. John Niven (1925-2019), a Scottish author and playwright known for his novels and adaptations for television and film.
2. William Niven (1842-1917), a Scottish-American architect who designed many notable buildings in California, including the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles.
3. James Niven (1772-1808), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer best known for his work on the theory of spherical geometry.
4. Frederick Niven (1878-1944), a Canadian politician who served as the 18th Premier of Alberta from 1925 to 1937.
5. Liam Niven (born 1988), a Scottish professional golfer who has competed on the European Tour and PGA Tour.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niven

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

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

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

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