Mahin
An Arabic surname meaning "intelligent" or "skilled".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 514 Americans carry the last name Mahin. That puts it at #47,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 666,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
514
1 in 666,837
Census rank
#47,878
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
442
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 442 bearers of the surname Mahin in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 47878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%) and Black (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahin
The surname MAHIN is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'Maidhin, which means "the descendant of Maidhin". Maidhin was a personal name derived from the Irish word "maidean", meaning "morning".
The name can be traced back to the 11th century, when it was first recorded in County Mayo, Ireland. It is believed that the name originated from a clan or family that settled in the area around that time.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Domnall O'Maidhin, a chieftain who lived in the 12th century. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of documents related to land grants and appointments in Ireland. One entry from 1587 mentions a Dermott O'Mahin from County Sligo.
As the name spread beyond Ireland, it underwent various spelling changes, including Mahin, Mahon, and Mahein. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonizing Ulster with Protestant settlers from England and Scotland.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Mahin (1658-1721), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Leitrim in the early 18th century.
Another prominent figure was Reverend Michael Mahin (1779-1861), an Irish-American Methodist minister and educator. He was a co-founder of Madison College (now Colgate University) in New York.
In the 19th century, the name was carried by James Mahin (1823-1892), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 26th Mayor of Chicago from 1887 to 1889.
John Lee Mahin (1899-1983) was an American screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work on the films "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Merton of the Movies".
More recently, John Mahin (born 1964) is an American screenwriter and director, known for his work on films such as "The Ugly Truth" and "Overboard".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%) and Black (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Mahin surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9%
- Black or African American4.5%
- Hispanic or Latino3.9%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Mahin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #47,878 | #47,878 | 0.0% |
| Count | 442 | 442 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Mahin bearers went from 442 to 442 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #47,878 to #47,878.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mahin
FAQ
Mahin surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Mahin?
The surname Mahin holds position #47,878 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 514 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Mahin surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahin, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.9%) and Black (4.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.