2000
#7,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,283
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Mak
A Chinese surname meaning "free from" or "clean," or a nickname for someone with a humble personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,157 Americans carry the last name Mak. That puts it at #6,118 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mak 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,669
Census rank
#6,118
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,369 bearers of the surname Mak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6118th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mak
The surname "MAK" is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "mac," which means "son of." This prefix was commonly used to denote a person's paternal lineage, indicating that the surname "Mak" likely referred to the son of someone with a particular name or occupation.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Mak" can be traced back to the 13th century in Scotland. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, several individuals bearing the surname "Mak" are listed, including Adam Mak and Gillemor Mak.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various Scottish records and manuscripts, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359, which mention a John Mak. The Mak surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Angus, Fife, and Lothian during this time period.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname "Mak" was Sir John Mak, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He played a significant role in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scottish forces decisively defeated the English army.
Another prominent individual with the surname "Mak" was Robert Mak, a 15th-century Scottish poet and courtier. He served as a clerk to King James II of Scotland and is best known for his work "The Lament for the Makaris," a poetic tribute to his fellow Scottish poets who had passed away.
In the 16th century, the surname "Mak" appeared in various legal and ecclesiastical records across Scotland. For example, in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1541, a Thomas Mak is mentioned as a resident of Edinburgh.
During the 17th century, the spelling variations of the surname became more diverse, with forms such as "Mack," "Mack," and "Mack" emerging. One notable figure from this era was John Mack, a Scottish minister and theologian born in 1624, who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow.
The surname "Mak" has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Makerstoun in the Scottish Borders, which may have derived its name from the presence of individuals bearing the surname "Mak" in the area.
Throughout history, the surname "Mak" has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, soldiers, poets, and clergymen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this ancient Scottish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mak
Among Census respondents with the surname Mak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mak 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 Mak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.8% · 4,661
- White8.0% · 431
- Two or more races3.0% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 78
- Black or African American0.7% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mak
Mak 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
#6,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,170
+887 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Up 629 places
2020
#6,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,369
+199 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Up 437 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,184 | 4,283 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,555 | 5,170 | 1.75 | +887 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 629 places |
| 2020 | #6,118 | 5,369 | 1.80 | +199 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 437 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 Mak 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 | #6,555 | #6,118 | 6.7% |
| Count | 5,170 | 5,369 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.80 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mak bearers went from 5,170 to 5,369 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 437 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,555 to #6,118.
FAQ
Mak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mak?
Name Census estimates that about 6,157 living Americans carry the surname Mak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,669 residents.
How common is Mak?
Mak ranks #6,118 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.80 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 5,369 people with the surname Mak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.80 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 Mak.
Has Mak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mak went from 5,170 recorded bearers to 5,369. That is an increase of 199 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,555 to #6,118.
What does the Census say about the background of Mak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (4,661 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.8%), White (8.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Mak (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 Mak mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "free from" or "clean," or a nickname for someone with a humble personality. 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 Mak (1.80 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 Mak?
Find out how many people have the last name Mak on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.