Massen
A variant of Matthias, derived from the Hebrew name Mattathyahu meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Massen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Massen today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Massen births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Massen. 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 Massen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2010 SSA rank
#13,558
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Massen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Massen from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Massen 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 Massen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Massen
The name Massen has its origins in the Germanic languages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "masso," which meant "mass" or "lump." This name was likely given to individuals who were large or sturdy in stature.
In the early medieval period, the name Massen appeared in various forms across different Germanic tribes and regions. Some variations included Masso, Massio, and Masso. These early spellings were documented in records and chronicles from the 6th to 9th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Massen was Masso of Worms, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 8th century. He was known for his military exploits and his loyalty to Charlemagne, the famous Frankish king and emperor.
During the High Middle Ages, the name Massen gained popularity among the Germanic nobility and aristocracy. Massen of Saxony, born in 1165, was a prominent German knight and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade alongside Richard the Lionheart.
In the Renaissance era, the name Massen was associated with notable scholars and intellectuals. Massen Vegio, born in 1407 in Lodi, Italy, was a renowned humanist and poet who wrote extensively on classical themes and subjects.
Another notable bearer of the name was Massen von Louvain, a 16th-century Flemish painter and engraver. He was known for his intricate religious paintings and his contributions to the Northern Renaissance art movement.
In the 19th century, Massen Ballin, a German-American shipping magnate, made his mark in the maritime industry. Born in 1811 in Schocken, Germany, he founded the famous Ballin shipping line, which played a significant role in transporting immigrants to the United States.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Massen. While the name may have evolved and changed in spelling over time, its Germanic roots and associations with strength, nobility, and intellectual pursuits have endured.
People
Massen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Massen 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
Massen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Massen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Massen 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Massen a common name?
We classify Massen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Massen most popular?
The single biggest year for Massen was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Massen is about 16 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 Massen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Massen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Massen 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 Massen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Massen 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 Massen 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 many Americans are named Massen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Massen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.