Find out how popular the last name No is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named No.

No, 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 No surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of No in America

No is the 19907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The No surname appeared 1,349 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 No.

We can also compare 2010 data for No 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 No

The surname "No" is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "nox," meaning "night." This could suggest that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who worked or traveled at night.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombardy region of Italy, which mentions a "Petrus de No" in a document dated 1187. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from the city of Genoa, such as the "Liber Juriumm Reipublicae Genuensis" (Book of Rights of the Genoese Republic), which mentions individuals with the surname "No" or variations like "Noe" and "Noa."

One notable figure bearing the name was Giovanni No, a wealthy merchant from Genoa who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He is mentioned in several documents related to trade and business transactions in the Mediterranean region.

In the 15th century, the name can be found in records from the Duchy of Milan, such as the "Registri delle Lettere Ducali" (Registers of Ducal Letters), which mentions a "Filippo No" in a document dated 1475.

Another historical figure with the surname "No" was Bartolomeo No, a scholar and humanist from Verona who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his involvement in the literary circles of the Renaissance.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records from various Italian cities, including Venice, Florence, and Rome. For example, a document from the Archivio di Stato di Venezia (State Archives of Venice) mentions a "Marco No" in 1567.

Over time, the name "No" likely spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, potentially through migration and trade. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has become less common in modern times, but it still exists in various parts of the world with Italian diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name No

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname No.

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 No 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 No 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 No was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of No, please contact us.

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