# Norman (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/norman/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the nickname [in turn originating as an ethnonym], for someone from Normandy, or for a Viking (Northman).

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | nickname, from a description or nickname of an ancestor |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 67,704 |
| US rank (2010) | 495 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 4,560 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.7% (65,269 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnɔɹmən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Middle English Norman, from Old English Norman (a variant of Norþman) and Old French Normant. It is certain that the word is derived from the base of the Germanic words for north and the Germanic base of the words for man. However, given the frequent movement of Germanic groups especially into and out of Britain in the post-classical world, it is unclear in what tongue it came to be used first. In addition, the generally accepted meaning, a person from Normandy or one of the many French-speaking invaders to Britain, was used chiefly by Anglo-Norman and Old French, though it originally referred to any Scandinavian of the time. See also Northman.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Norman in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 69% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 25% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.3% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Norman in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Belgium.

## People named Norman

- Jessye Norman, American opera singer (1945–2019)
- Jace Norman, American actor (born 2000)
- Peter Norman, Australian sprinter (1942–2006)
- Donald Norman, American academic
- Michael Norman, American sprinter
- Greg Norman, Australian professional golfer (born 1955)
- Dick Norman, Belgian tennis player
- Monty Norman, British composer (1928–2022)
- Larry Norman, American musician (1947–2008)
- Maidie Norman, actress, drama teacher (1912-1998)
- Ralph Norman, American politician (born 1953)
- Marsha Norman, American playwright, screenwriter and novelist (born 1947)

and 9 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Normand, Normandin, Narayanan.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.