Tracing the Nurse Family Name

In census returns, Nurse often stands in for Nourse. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Someone who at tended, or took care of, sick people”.

Nurse coat of arms

Looking for a Nurse coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

Spelling and variants

Nurse is listed among the recognised spellings of Nourse. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written.

According to the 2010 US Census, the Nurse surname had 2,786 bearers. Want more than a summary? See the Nurse family name pack.