Find out how popular the last name Mace is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mace.

Mace, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mace surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mace in America

Mace is the 2933rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mace surname appeared 12,222 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Mace.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mace to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mace

The surname MACE is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "mace," meaning a heavy staff or club used as a weapon in medieval times. This surname likely originated in the 11th or 12th century and was initially an occupational name, given to those who made or carried maces.

The earliest known record of the name MACE dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Macia" in Bedfordshire, England. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been derived from the personal name "Mace" or "Machi," which were common in Norman France during that period.

By the 13th century, the surname MACE had become more widespread across England, with various spellings such as Mace, Maces, and Macey. One notable historical figure was Sir Henry Mace (c. 1370-1415), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought alongside Henry V in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the name MACE was also found in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One example is Thomas Mace (1612/13-1706), an English lutenist, viol instructor, and writer on music, who published the influential work "Musick's Monument" in 1676.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name MACE continued to be prominent in England, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. These include William Mace (1676-1736), an English playwright and satirist, and Thomas Mace (1619-1699), an English Presbyterian minister and author.

Another significant figure was John Mace (1785-1859), an English-born American Baptist minister and abolitionist. He was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and served as the fourth president of the American Anti-Slavery Society from 1837 to 1839.

As the name spread across the British Empire, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable Australian bearer of the surname was Henry Darlington Mace (1854-1937), a pioneering medical practitioner and surgeon who played a significant role in the development of healthcare in Western Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mace

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mace.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mace was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mace has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mace was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mace, please contact us.

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