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

Nwachukwu, 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 Nwachukwu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nwachukwu in America

Nwachukwu is the 25865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nwachukwu surname appeared 951 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 Nwachukwu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nwachukwu 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 Nwachukwu

The surname Nwachukwu originated from the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It is a combination of two Igbo words, "nwa" meaning "child" and "chukwu" meaning "God" or "the Supreme Being." The name itself translates to "Child of God" or "God's Child."

The earliest known usage of the name Nwachukwu can be traced back to the 16th century, during the height of the Kingdom of Nri, one of the oldest and most influential kingdoms in Igboland. The name was likely used by families who were closely associated with the traditional Igbo religion and believed in the supreme deity, Chukwu.

In the 19th century, as Christianity spread across Igboland, some families adopted the name Nwachukwu as a way to express their newfound Christian faith while still maintaining their Igbo cultural roots. This practice was particularly common among the Igbo converts to Catholicism and Anglicanism.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nwachukwu was Nwachukwu Anyanwu, a prominent Igbo trader and diplomat who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for facilitating trade between the Igbo hinterland and the coastal regions, and for his role in negotiating peace agreements between various Igbo communities.

Another notable figure was Nwachukwu Okpala, a renowned Igbo sculptor and woodcarver who lived in the early 20th century. His works, which included intricate masks and figurines, were highly sought after and are now displayed in museums and private collections around the world.

In the mid-20th century, Nwachukwu Agballa (1920-1985) was a prominent Igbo politician and activist who played a key role in the Nigerian independence movement. He served as a member of the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly and was a vocal advocate for Igbo self-determination.

The name Nwachukwu has also been carried by several notable Igbo academics and intellectuals, including Nwachukwu Okigbo (1924-1967), a renowned poet and professor of English literature, and Nwachukwu Obiakor (1940-2018), a respected scholar of African philosophy and culture.

In contemporary times, the surname Nwachukwu continues to be widely used among the Igbo people, with many families preserving the name as a way to honor their cultural heritage and religious beliefs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nwachukwu

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

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

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

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