Given name & surname
Nation
“a patriotic man”
Nation is used as a given name and a surname. One American interpretation is “a patriotic man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One American interpretation is “a patriotic man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1997. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Nation through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 499
- 424 boys · 75 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 52 babies
- 2025
- 29
- #4,652 for boys · #12,802 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +2%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 22 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,652 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 7 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 303 as a first name in 2020; 7,026 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Nation’s family of names
In English usage, Nation as a surname has a related form in Nathan.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Nation, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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