2000
#5,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.97
Rare Last name
Mader
A German occupational surname referring to a meadow mower or hay cutter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,649 Americans carry the last name Mader. That puts it at #6,601 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mader 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
5.6K
1 in 60,675
Census rank
#6,601
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,926 bearers of the surname Mader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6601st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mader, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mader
The surname Mader has its origins in Germany and Switzerland, derived from the Old High German word "mato" or "mada," meaning "meadow" or "grassland." This name likely emerged as a descriptive term for individuals who lived near or worked on meadows or grasslands.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mader can be traced back to the 13th century in various German and Swiss regions. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Johannes Mader, a resident of Zurich, Switzerland, mentioned in historical records from around 1280.
In Germany, the name Mader was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, where it was often associated with families involved in agriculture or land ownership. Some historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Mater, Madir, or Maderer.
One notable figure bearing the Mader surname was Johann Mader (1450-1518), a German composer and music theorist from the late Renaissance period. He was born in Bamberg, Germany, and served as a choirmaster and organist at various churches in Nuremberg and Würzburg.
Another historical figure was Joachim Mader (1518-1578), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer from Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Philipp Melanchthon, a prominent figure of the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the Mader surname appeared in the records of the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination founded in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic). One notable individual was Johann Mader (1629-1697), a Moravian bishop and leader of the church during a period of persecution.
In Switzerland, the Mader surname has been associated with various notable figures, including Johann Mader (1870-1950), a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (the Swiss government) from 1919 to 1934.
Another Swiss individual of note was Hans Mader (1903-1992), a renowned architect and urban planner who contributed significantly to the reconstruction and development of Basel, Switzerland, in the post-World War II era.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Mader surname throughout history, reflecting its German and Swiss origins and its presence in various fields, including music, theology, politics, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mader
Among Census respondents with the surname Mader, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mader 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 Mader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 4,558
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 151
- Two or more races2.6% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 51
- Black or African American0.7% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mader
Mader 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
#6,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,434
+113 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 331 places
2020
#6,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,926
-508 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 313 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,957 | 5,321 | 1.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,288 | 5,434 | 1.84 | +113 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 331 places |
| 2020 | #6,601 | 4,926 | 1.65 | -508 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 313 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 Mader 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 | #6,288 | #6,601 | -5.0% |
| Count | 5,434 | 4,926 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.65 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mader bearers went from 5,434 to 4,926 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 313 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,288 to #6,601.
FAQ
Mader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mader?
Name Census estimates that about 5,649 living Americans carry the surname Mader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,675 residents.
How common is Mader?
Mader ranks #6,601 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,926 people with the surname Mader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,649), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mader.
Has Mader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mader went from 5,434 recorded bearers to 4,926. That is a decrease of 508 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,288 to #6,601.
What does the Census say about the background of Mader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mader, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Mader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (4,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Mader (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 Mader mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a meadow mower or hay cutter. 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 Mader (1.65 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 many people are called Mader?
If you just want to know how many people are called Mader, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.