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

Machin, 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 Machin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Machin in America

Machin is the 14991st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Machin surname appeared 1,971 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Machin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Machin 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 Machin

The surname MACHIN is believed to have originated in France, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "machon," meaning "mason" or "stoneworker." This suggests that the MACHIN name may have been an occupational surname, given to those who worked as masons or stonemasons.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MACHIN name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Conches, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Conches in Normandy, France. In this document, a man named Radulfus Machin is mentioned in the year 1188.

As the name spread throughout France, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Machon, Machun, and Machin. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the MACHIN name appears in the records of the city of Paris. A document from 1269 mentions a man named Jehan Machin, who was a resident of the city.

During the 14th century, the MACHIN name gained prominence in the region of Champagne, France. Historical records from this period mention several individuals bearing the name, including Guillaume Machin, who was born in Reims around 1330.

One notable figure in the history of the MACHIN name is Robert Machin, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the 15th century. Born in Normandy around 1450, Machin was a prominent scholar at the University of Paris and authored several works on logic and philosophy.

Another individual of note is Jacques Machin, a 16th-century French poet and playwright from the city of Caen. Born in 1540, Machin gained recognition for his satirical works and plays, which often criticized social and political issues of his time.

In the 17th century, the MACHIN name spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. One significant figure from this period is John Machin, an English mathematician and astronomer who was born in 1686. Machin is best known for developing a mathematical formula, now known as Machin's formula, which is used to calculate the value of pi (π) to a high degree of accuracy.

The MACHIN name also has a connection to the world of literature through the 18th-century French author and playwright Jean-Baptiste Machin. Born in Reims in 1725, Machin wrote several plays and works of fiction, including the novel "Les Aventures de Monsieur Robert Chevalier, dit de Beauchêne" (The Adventures of Mr. Robert Chevalier, known as Beauchêne).

Throughout its long history, the MACHIN surname has been associated with various occupations, from masons and stoneworkers to scholars, poets, and mathematicians. While the name may have originated as an occupational surname, it has since become a part of the cultural heritage of several countries, particularly France, England, and Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Machin

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

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 Machin 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 Machin 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 Machin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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