Mascen
A masculine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from the Gaelic "masc".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mascen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mascen today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mascen births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mascen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mascen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,339
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Mascen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mascen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mascen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mascen
The given name Mascen has its origins in the ancient Celtic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the 5th century BCE in what is now modern-day Ireland and parts of Scotland. The name is believed to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word "masc," meaning "son" or "male child," and the suffix "-en," which was a common diminutive ending used to denote endearment or familiarity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mascen appears in the 9th century CE Irish epic "Táin Bó Cúailnge" (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), where it is mentioned as the name of a minor character. However, it is unclear whether this was a reference to an actual historical figure or a fictional character.
In the 11th century, a Welsh monk named Mascen ap Hywel is recorded as having traveled to Rome and contributed to the preservation of ancient Celtic manuscripts. This Mascen is believed to have been born around 1020 CE and is considered one of the earliest documented individuals to have borne the name.
During the Middle Ages, the name Mascen gained popularity among Celtic nobility and nobility-adjacent families. Notable historical figures with this name include Mascen ap Rhys (c. 1160-1231), a Welsh prince and military leader who fought against the Norman invaders, and Mascen mac Domnaill (c. 1210-1278), a Scottish chieftain and warrior from the Clan MacDonald.
In the 16th century, a French explorer and navigator named Mascen Durand (c. 1520-1585) is recorded as having accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to Canada and is credited with helping to establish some of the earliest European settlements in the region.
Another notable figure with the name Mascen was an Irish poet and bard named Mascen Ó Duinnín (c. 1680-1745), who was renowned for his compositions in the Irish language and his efforts to preserve traditional Celtic culture and literature during a time of English colonial oppression.
While the name Mascen has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Celtic nations and serves as a reminder of the rich linguistic and historical traditions of these regions.
People
Mascen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mascen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mascen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mascen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mascen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Mascen a common name?
We classify Mascen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mascen most popular?
The single biggest year for Mascen was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mascen is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mascen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mascen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mascen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Mascen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mascen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mascen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Mascen?
See how many Americans are named Mascen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.