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

Northan, 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 Northan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Northan in America

Northan is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Northan surname appeared 199 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 Northan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Northan 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 Northan

The surname Northan has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "norð" meaning north and "ham" meaning homestead or village. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a northern village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Norðham." This entry is thought to refer to a place in present-day Northumberland, indicating that the name may have originated in that region.

In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Northam" and "Northam" begin to appear in historical records, reflecting the evolution of spelling over time. These early spellings often referred to individuals from specific towns or villages bearing similar names, such as Northam in Devon or Northam in Somerset.

One notable figure bearing the surname Northan was Sir John Northan (c. 1450-1512), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Henry VII. Another prominent individual was Robert Northan (c. 1525-1589), a merchant and alderman in the City of London.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various forms, including "Northane" and "Northane," as seen in parish records and legal documents. This period also saw the rise of William Northan (1637-1703), a noted theologian and author of several religious works.

Moving into the 18th century, the spelling "Northan" became more standardized. Notable individuals from this era include Captain James Northan (1720-1789), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, and Elizabeth Northan (1745-1823), a prominent philanthropist and patron of the arts in London.

Throughout the 19th century, the Northan surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with individuals from this time period including Sir Henry Northan (1810-1878), a successful industrialist and politician, and Mary Northan (1845-1921), a celebrated novelist and poet.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Northan

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

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

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

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