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

Nourse, 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 Nourse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nourse in America

Nourse is the 18961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nourse surname appeared 1,439 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 Nourse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nourse 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 Nourse

The surname Nourse has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "norice," meaning a nurse or a foster-mother. This surname was likely given to individuals who worked as wet nurses or caregivers for infants and young children.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nourse can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Norisse." This medieval document was a survey of landowners and their tenants, providing valuable insights into the distribution of surnames during that period.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Norys," "Noreys," and "Norreys," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography common at the time. The name Nourse was also associated with certain place names, such as Norris Green in Liverpool, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Nourse include Richard Nourse, an English clergyman who lived in the 16th century and served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1535 to 1536. In the 17th century, James Nourse (1622-1684) was a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament for Richmond.

John Nourse (1705-1780) was a notable London-based publisher and bookseller, known for his collaboration with Samuel Johnson on the publication of "A Dictionary of the English Language" in 1755. His son, also named John Nourse (1736-1780), followed in his father's footsteps and became a respected bookseller and publisher as well.

Another individual of note is Joseph Nourse (1754-1841), an American politician and public servant who served as the Register of the Treasury under five U.S. presidents, from George Washington to John Quincy Adams. He played a crucial role in the early financial administration of the United States.

In the literary world, Ann Nourse (1944-2021) was a renowned English writer and playwright, best known for her plays "Nest of Rebels" and "Strange Luck." Her works explored themes of family, relationships, and social issues, earning her critical acclaim and numerous awards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nourse

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

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

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

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