The Nunn surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,769 people carried this name — #2,164 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,600 people counted. That is up 13% from 14,792 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Nunn surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the nun’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 563 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Nunn was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Suffolk: 55 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 182. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Suffolk 55
Essex 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Nunn in American newspapers,
1889–1911.

Newspaper page from Macon Beacon carrying the name Nunn
Macon Beacon 1911-09-29
Newspaper page from The Grenada Sentinel carrying the name Nunn
The Grenada Sentinel 1889-12-28
Newspaper page from The Weekly Tribune carrying the name Nunn
The Weekly Tribune 1894-11-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 52,619 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nunn in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

29,157 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nunn. The most, 6,203, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 9,074
Queensland 7,559
New South Wales 6,589
Western Australia 3,291
Tasmania 1,317
South Australia 1,152
ACT (Canberra) 135
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nunn.

Who carried it

People named Nunn,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Nunn
    John Nunn 1803–1860 · writer
  • David Alexander Nunn
    David Alexander Nunn 1833–1918 · lawyer
  • L. L. Nunn
    L. L. Nunn 1853–1925 · entrepreneur
  • Mary Nunn d. 1764
  • Anne Nunn 1520–
  • Elizabeth Carrington Nunn 1776–1846

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Nunn,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,118 records

1,118 records of the Nunn name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 547
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 241
  • Other U.S. records 330
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Elbert E. Nunn

    Born 1922 in Indiana. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Benjamin Harrison; metal grinder. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Kentucky.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Walburga Nunn

    Arrived at New York in 1855 aboard the Abby Langdon from Havre, aged 32; farmer. From Hesse Nassau, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Samuel John Nunn

    Born 1949; from Deming, New Mexico. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,118 records for Nunn in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,090 records

1,090 records of the Nunn name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 352
  • Tasmanian Names Index 304
  • Other Australian records 434
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Benjamin Nunn

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Marquis of Hastings, sailing from Portsmouth in 1839. Native of Essex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ernest Alfred Nunn

    Born 1878 in Launceston, Tasmania. Married 1901 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Nunn

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Saldanha, aged 32; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,090 records for Nunn in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada142 records

142 records of the Nunn name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 89
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 16
  • Other Canadian records 37
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alfred Nunn

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Severn, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Stanley Richard Nunn

    Buried in 2001 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 82.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record George E. Nunn

    Died 1950 in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 142 records for Nunn in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom42 records

42 records of the Nunn name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 32
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 9
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Dorothy Nunn

    Buried in 1850 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 85.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William James Nunn

    Will proved in 1935; of Holyhead, Anglesey.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. J. Nunn

    Essex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 42 records for Nunn in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Germany29 records

29 records of the Nunn name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 26
  • German applications to settle and marry 2
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Joseph Nunn

    From Kolitzheim, Unterfr. Reported wounded in the Bavarian casualty list of 24 August 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 9).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Michael Nunn

    Named in an application to settle and marry at Kolitzheim in 1852.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Würzburg (CC0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Maria Nunn

    Named in an application to settle and marry at Kolitzheim in 1860.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Würzburg (CC0)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Nunn in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France3 records

3 records of the Nunn name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Huberte Marie Jose Nunn

    Born 1944 in Madagascar; died 1998 in Dijon (Côte-d'Or).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Antoine Charles Nunn

    Born 1903 in Paris; died 1982 in Le Grand-Lucé (Sarthe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Nunn in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Nunn name in New Zealand Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Nunn

    Buried in 1901 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 28.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Marion Gertrude Nunn

    Buried in 1966 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 92.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Nunn name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Millicent Etheline Nunn

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nunn.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nunn is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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