2000
#5,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.19
Rare Last name
Manns
Derived from the given name Mann, which comes from the Old English word "mann" meaning person or man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,989 Americans carry the last name Manns. That puts it at #5,504 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manns 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 Manns with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,042
Census rank
#5,504
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,095 bearers of the surname Manns in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5504th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manns, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manns
The surname Manns originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mann," which means "man" or "person." The name likely referred to someone who was considered a man of importance or standing within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Manns surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Manne" and "Manni," suggesting its widespread use across different regions.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Manns began to appear more frequently in various historical records, including church registers, tax rolls, and legal documents. For example, a John Manns was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1265, indicating that individuals bearing this surname were present in the northern counties of England.
In the 15th century, the Manns surname was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was John Manns, a prominent merchant who lived in London during the reign of Henry VI (1422-1461). Another was William Manns, a scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1477 to 1480.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Manns surname continued to gain prominence. Sir John Manns (1543-1612) was a respected lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer under Queen Elizabeth I. Meanwhile, Richard Manns (1590-1668) was a renowned English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious and theological matters.
In the 18th century, the Manns surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. Sir Horace Manns (1701-1756) was a renowned English landscape painter and a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Manns (1717-1786), a prominent astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Throughout the 19th century, the Manns surname continued to be represented in various fields. For example, Frederick Manns (1823-1909) was a highly respected English conductor and founder of the renowned Promenade Concerts, known as the "Proms." Additionally, Thomas Manns (1856-1941) was a renowned English novelist and essayist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929 for his influential works such as "Buddenbrooks" and "The Magic Mountain."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manns
Among Census respondents with the surname Manns, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Manns 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 Manns surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.4% · 3,135
- Black or African American38.8% · 2,363
- Two or more races5.9% · 361
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 194
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manns
Manns 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
#5,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,312
+391 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 97 places
2020
#5,504
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,095
-217 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Up 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,414 | 5,921 | 2.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,511 | 6,312 | 2.14 | +391 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 97 places |
| 2020 | #5,504 | 6,095 | 2.04 | -217 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 7 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 Manns 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 | #5,511 | #5,504 | 0.1% |
| Count | 6,312 | 6,095 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 2.04 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manns bearers went from 6,312 to 6,095 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,511 to #5,504.
FAQ
Manns surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manns?
Name Census estimates that about 6,989 living Americans carry the surname Manns. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,042 residents.
How common is Manns?
Manns ranks #5,504 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 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 6,095 people with the surname Manns. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 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 Manns.
Has Manns become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manns went from 6,312 recorded bearers to 6,095. That is a decrease of 217 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,511 to #5,504.
What does the Census say about the background of Manns?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manns, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Manns in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (3,135 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manns appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.4%), Black (38.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Manns (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 Manns mean?
Derived from the given name Mann, which comes from the Old English word "mann" meaning person or man. 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 Manns (2.04 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 last name Manns?
See how common the surname Manns is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.