2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nonan
An uncommon surname possibly derived from the Irish surname Noonan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Nonan. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nonan 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Nonan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nonan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.0%) and White (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nonan
The surname "NONAN" is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "Ó Nannáin," which means "descendant of Nannán." Nannán was a personal name that was common in ancient Ireland.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Maelbrigte Ó Nannáin" in the year 1021. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 11th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "O'Nonane" in the Ecclesiastical Taxation Rolls of Ireland, which were records of taxes paid to the Church. This spelling variation indicates that the surname was subject to regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era.
One notable bearer of the surname was Seán Ó Nannáin, a 17th-century Irish poet and historian from County Fermanagh. His works, written in the Irish language, provide valuable insights into the cultural and political landscape of Ireland during that turbulent period.
Another prominent figure with the surname was Pádraig Ó Nannáin (1685-1768), a Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on the history and genealogy of Irish families. His work, known as the "Nannían Pedigree," is an important source for tracing the lineages of many Irish surnames.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Nonan," "Nonane," and "Noonan," reflecting the anglicization of Irish surnames that occurred during that time. One notable bearer was John Nonan (1801-1881), an Irish-born businessman and philanthropist who emigrated to the United States and became a successful merchant in New York City.
Another individual of note was Michael Nonan (1836-1903), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate and was a prominent advocate for Irish immigrants' rights.
The surname "NONAN" has a rich history rooted in the ancient Gaelic traditions of Ireland, and its variations over time reflect the cultural and linguistic changes that have shaped the country's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nonan
Among Census respondents with the surname Nonan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.0%) and White (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Nonan 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 Nonan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.0% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino19.0% · 23
- White12.4% · 15
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nonan
Nonan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+19 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 17,123 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 Nonan 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 | #158,432 | #141,309 | 10.8% |
| Count | 102 | 121 | 18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nonan bearers went from 102 to 121 (+18.6% change). The surname moved up 17,123 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #141,309.
FAQ
Nonan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nonan?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Nonan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Nonan?
Nonan ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Nonan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Nonan.
Has Nonan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nonan went from 102 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 19 (+18.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Nonan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nonan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.0%) and White (12.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nonan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nonan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.0%), Hispanic (19.0%), White (12.4%). 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 Nonan (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 Nonan mean?
An uncommon surname possibly derived from the Irish surname Noonan. 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 Nonan (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 have the surname Nonan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.