2000
#12,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,340
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Mance
A Norman French occupational surname referring to someone who made handles or sleeves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,287 Americans carry the last name Mance. That puts it at #14,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,871 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mance 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 Mance with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,871
Census rank
#14,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,994 bearers of the surname Mance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mance, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mance
The surname Mance is derived from the Old French word "mance," meaning "a residence" or "an abode." It has its origins in France, where it was first used as a surname during the late 11th or early 12th century. The name likely originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Brittany.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mance can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 under the direction of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Robert de Mance, who held estates in the county of Hertfordshire, England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Mance was often associated with people who lived in or near a manor house or other significant residence. As such, it was not uncommon for the name to be used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's place of residence or occupation.
In the 13th century, the name Mance appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls, which were census-like surveys conducted in England between 1274 and 1279. One notable entry from this period is that of William de la Mance, a landowner in the county of Shropshire.
Over the centuries, the name Mance has undergone several spelling variations, including Maunce, Maunse, and Maunce. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation across various parts of Europe.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Mance throughout history:
1. Jeanne Mance (1606-1673), a French settler and nurse who co-founded the city of Montreal, Canada, and established the first hospital on the island.
2. Sir Henry Mance (1609-1674), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles II.
3. Jean-Baptiste Mance (1679-1748), a French painter known for his religious works and portraits of the French nobility.
4. Thomas Mance (1850-1931), an English architect and designer who was responsible for several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
5. Sir John Mance (1886-1957), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of Jamaica from 1942 to 1951.
While the surname Mance may not be among the most common surnames today, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, with notable individuals who have left their mark in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mance
Among Census respondents with the surname Mance, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mance 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 Mance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.7% · 1,090
- Black or African American37.1% · 739
- Two or more races3.8% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mance
Mance 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
#13,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,310
-30 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
2020
#14,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,994
-316 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,206 | 2,340 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,226 | 2,310 | 0.78 | -30 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 1,020 places |
| 2020 | #14,424 | 1,994 | 0.67 | -316 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 1,198 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 Mance 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 | #13,226 | #14,424 | -9.1% |
| Count | 2,310 | 1,994 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.67 | -14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mance bearers went from 2,310 to 1,994 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 1,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,226 to #14,424.
FAQ
Mance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mance?
Name Census estimates that about 2,287 living Americans carry the surname Mance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,871 residents.
How common is Mance?
Mance ranks #14,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,994 people with the surname Mance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mance.
Has Mance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mance went from 2,310 recorded bearers to 1,994. That is a decrease of 316 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,226 to #14,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Mance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mance, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Mance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.7% (1,090 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.7%), Black (37.1%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Mance (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 Mance mean?
A Norman French occupational surname referring to someone who made handles or sleeves. 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 Mance (0.67 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 have the surname Mance?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.