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

Mahr, 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 Mahr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahr in America

Mahr is the 15883rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahr surname appeared 1,831 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 Mahr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahr 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 Mahr

The surname Mahr has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "mar," meaning "famous" or "renowned." This suggests that the name was originally given to individuals who had achieved a certain level of renown or fame within their communities.

In the region of Saxony-Anhalt, which was formerly part of East Germany, there are records of the Mahr surname appearing in church registers and official documents from as early as the 1500s. The name was particularly prevalent in the town of Eisleben, which was also the birthplace of the famous reformer Martin Luther.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mahr surname can be found in the Sachsenspiegel, a medieval legal code from the 13th century. This document mentions a certain "Heinrich Mahr" who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mahr family produced several notable figures. Johann Mahr (1637-1701) was a respected theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Saalfeld. His son, Johann Friedrich Mahr (1673-1732), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent scholar and educator.

In the realm of art, the painter Johann Gottfried Mahr (1745-1826) gained recognition for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various museums across Germany and Austria.

Another notable figure was the military officer and statesman Friedrich Mahr (1800-1875), who played a significant role in the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck. He served as a general in the Prussian army and later became the governor of the province of Pomerania.

One of the more recent individuals of note with the Mahr surname was the German actor and director Peter Mahr (1909-1982), who was active in both film and theater during the mid-20th century.

While the Mahr surname is most closely associated with Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahr

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

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

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

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