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

Man, 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 Man surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Man in America

Man is the 8266th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Man surname appeared 4,010 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 Man.

We can also compare 2010 data for Man 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 Man

The surname "Man" is believed to have originated from England in the medieval period, potentially as early as the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "mann," which means "human being" or "person." This name was likely used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who was considered exceptionally human or manly in their characteristics or actions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Man" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions individuals with the surname "Man" residing in various counties, including Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, the surname "Man" appeared in several historical records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls and the Feet of Fines. These documents provide insights into legal proceedings and land transactions involving individuals with this surname.

In the 14th century, the surname "Man" was associated with notable figures such as Robert Man (c. 1300-1370), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London. Another prominent individual was John Man (c. 1350-1415), a member of Parliament and landowner in Oxfordshire.

The 15th century saw the rise of Sir John Man (c. 1420-1480), a distinguished soldier and politician who served as the Sheriff of Berkshire and held important positions at the court of Edward IV. This period also witnessed the emergence of variations in the spelling of the surname, such as "Manne" and "Manne."

In the 16th century, the surname "Man" was associated with several notable individuals, including Thomas Man (c. 1500-1558), a wealthy merchant and benefactor who founded the prestigious Merchant Taylors' School in London. Another prominent figure was Sir Henry Man (c. 1520-1591), a successful merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London.

During the 17th century, the surname "Man" gained further prominence with individuals such as Samuel Man (c. 1630-1695), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. Additionally, Sir Reginald Man (c. 1650-1718) was a respected judge and politician who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.

The 18th century witnessed the emergence of the renowned Man family of bankers and industrialists, including James Man (c. 1720-1792), who established the successful banking firm of Man & Co. in London. Another notable figure from this period was Sir Horace Man (c. 1755-1828), a distinguished diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of the Bank of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Man

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

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

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

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