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

Nun, 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 Nun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nun in America

Nun is the 67747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nun surname appeared 291 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 Nun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nun 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 Nun

The surname Nun originated in England, and it is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nunn," which means "a nun" or a woman who has taken religious vows. The earliest records of this surname date back to the late 12th century and early 13th century.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Nun can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a person named William Nun is mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire from 1207, where a Richard Nun is listed.

In the 13th century, the surname Nun was particularly prevalent in the counties of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, suggesting that it may have originated in the West Midlands region of England. The name was also found in other parts of the country, such as Yorkshire and Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nun was Walter Nun, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in the late 13th century. Another notable person was John Nun, a landowner from Staffordshire who lived in the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Nun surname appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a wealthy Norfolk family. One of the letters, dated 1472, mentions a person named Thomas Nun.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Nun was Sir Thomas Nun (c. 1520 – 1597), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament from London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and served as an Alderman and Sheriff.

Another notable person was William Nun (c. 1550 – 1626), a clergyman and academic who served as the Warden of Winchester College in Hampshire during the early 17th century.

The Nun surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Nunbrook in Worcestershire and Nunney in Somerset, both of which may have derived from the Old English word "nunn" or similar variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nun

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

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

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

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