2000
#31,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Nur
A surname meaning light or illumination in several languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,965 Americans carry the last name Nur. That puts it at #11,617 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nur 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nur with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 115,600
Census rank
#11,617
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,586 bearers of the surname Nur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11617th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nur, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nur
The surname NUR originated in present-day Turkey, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Persian word 'nur', meaning 'light' or 'radiance'. The name likely emerged as a descriptive term for individuals who were perceived as enlightened or radiant in their demeanor or character.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name NUR appeared in various official records and registers, particularly in regions like Anatolia and the Balkans. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript detailing tax records from the city of Bursa.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Nur al-Din al-Bitlisi (1437-1520) gained prominence as a Kurdish historian and scholar. His works, such as "Sharafnama" and "Hadiqat al-Haqiqat," shed light on the history and culture of the region during that period.
Another prominent individual bearing the name NUR was Nur Banu Valide Sultan (1556-1583), the wife of Ottoman Sultan Selim II and the mother of Sultan Murad III. She played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of the Ottoman Empire during her lifetime.
In the 17th century, Nur al-Din al-Raniri (1600-1658), a scholar and Sufi mystic from Ranir, India, made significant contributions to the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Malay Archipelago.
Moving into the 19th century, Nur Jahan (1577-1645), the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, was a prominent figure in the Indian subcontinent. She wielded considerable political influence and is remembered for her patronage of the arts and architecture.
Throughout history, the surname NUR has been associated with various places and regions, including Nur, a city in modern-day Iran, and Nur-Abad, a town in Balochistan, Pakistan. The name has also been linked to the Nur Jahan Mosque in Agra, India, named after the Mughal empress.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nur
Among Census respondents with the surname Nur, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Nur 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 Nur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.4% · 2,078
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.5% · 323
- White4.4% · 113
- Two or more races1.5% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nur
Nur appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,857
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,835
+1,146 bearers (+166.3%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 15,847 places
2020
#11,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,586
+751 bearers (+40.9%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 4,240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,704 | 689 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,857 | 1,835 | 0.62 | +1,146 bearers (+166.3%) | Up 15,847 places |
| 2020 | #11,617 | 2,586 | 0.87 | +751 bearers (+40.9%) | Up 4,240 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 Nur 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 | #15,857 | #11,617 | 26.7% |
| Count | 1,835 | 2,586 | 40.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.87 | 39.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nur bearers went from 1,835 to 2,586 (+40.9% change). The surname moved up 4,240 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,857 to #11,617.
FAQ
Nur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nur?
Name Census estimates that about 2,965 living Americans carry the surname Nur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,600 residents.
How common is Nur?
Nur ranks #11,617 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,586 people with the surname Nur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,965), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nur.
Has Nur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nur went from 1,835 recorded bearers to 2,586. That is an increase of 751 (+40.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,857 to #11,617.
What does the Census say about the background of Nur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nur, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (4.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (2,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%), White (4.4%). 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 Nur (2000, 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 Nur mean?
A surname meaning light or illumination in several languages. 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 Nur (0.87 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 last name Nur?
See how common the surname Nur is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.