2000
#12,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Macke
Derived from a shortened form of the Irish surname McMacke, meaning "son of Macke."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,437 Americans carry the last name Macke. That puts it at #13,656 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macke surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 140,646
Census rank
#13,656
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,125 bearers of the surname Macke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13656th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macke
The surname MACKE originated in Germany during the late medieval period, derived from the Germanic personal name Mako or Macco. This name is believed to have roots in the Old High German word "gemah," meaning "suitable" or "fitting." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany.
One of the earliest records of the MACKE surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around 1300. The name appears as "Macco" and is associated with individuals residing in the region at that time.
In the 15th century, the MACKE surname gained prominence in the town of Treuenbrietzen, located in the present-day German state of Brandenburg. Historical records from this period mention several individuals bearing the MACKE name, indicating their involvement in local affairs and trades.
Notable individuals with the MACKE surname include Johann Heinrich Ferdinand MACKE, a German painter born in 1887 and died in 1914, who was a prominent member of the influential German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter. His vibrant paintings and pioneering artistic style have left a lasting impact on the world of modern art.
Another significant figure was August MACKE, a German industrialist born in 1887 and died in 1914, who co-founded the pharmaceutical company Hoechst AG, which later became part of the multinational corporation Sanofi-Aventis.
In the 19th century, the MACKE surname was also found in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony and Thuringia. One notable individual from this period was Karl MACKE, a German architect born in 1824 and died in 1892, who designed several notable buildings in Leipzig and played a significant role in shaping the city's architectural landscape.
The MACKE surname has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and genealogical connections. While the name retains its strongest association with Germany, it has become well-established in various countries over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macke
Among Census respondents with the surname Macke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Macke bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 1,995
- Two or more races3.1% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macke
Macke appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
+203 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 10 places
2020
#13,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,125
-274 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,845 | 2,196 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,835 | 2,399 | 0.81 | +203 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 10 places |
| 2020 | #13,656 | 2,125 | 0.71 | -274 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 821 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macke surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,835 | #13,656 | -6.4% |
| Count | 2,399 | 2,125 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.71 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macke bearers went from 2,399 to 2,125 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 821 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,835 to #13,656.
FAQ
Macke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macke?
Name Census estimates that about 2,437 living Americans carry the surname Macke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,646 residents.
How common is Macke?
Macke ranks #13,656 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,125 people with the surname Macke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Macke.
Has Macke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macke went from 2,399 recorded bearers to 2,125. That is a decrease of 274 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,835 to #13,656.
What does the Census say about the background of Macke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (1,995 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macke (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macke mean?
Derived from a shortened form of the Irish surname McMacke, meaning "son of Macke." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macke (0.71 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Macke?
You can see how many people have the surname Macke on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.