2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mansmith
A surname combining occupational terms for a male smith, possibly a village blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Mansmith. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mansmith 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.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Mansmith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mansmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mansmith
The surname MANSMITH is of English origin, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the occupation of a blacksmith who specialized in making and repairing tools and implements used by men in various trades.
The name is a compound word formed by the combination of the words "man" and "smith," with "smith" being an Old English term meaning "one who works with metal." This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to distinguish a blacksmith who catered specifically to the needs of men's trades from those who specialized in other areas, such as horse-shoeing or armor-making.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MANSMITH can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a certain John Mansmith was baptized in 1587. Another early reference is found in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1666, where a William Mansmith is listed as a resident of the village of Longstanton in Cambridgeshire.
Notably, in the 17th century, the surname MANSMITH was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. This may be due to the agricultural and industrial nature of these regions, which would have necessitated the services of skilled blacksmiths to produce and maintain tools for various trades.
One notable bearer of the MANSMITH surname was Robert Mansmith (1743-1823), a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Ipswich, Suffolk. He is credited with several innovations in clock design and manufacturing, including the development of a more accurate escapement mechanism.
Another individual of historical significance was William Mansmith (1808-1887), a British engineer and inventor from Norfolk. He patented several improvements to agricultural machinery, including a revolutionary design for a horse-drawn seed drill that significantly increased efficiency in sowing crops.
In the literary world, Elizabeth Mansmith (1842-1916) was a notable English author and poet from Cambridgeshire. She published several collections of poetry and short stories, many of which drew inspiration from the rural landscapes and traditions of her native county.
The MANSMITH surname has also been associated with notable figures in the military. Captain John Mansmith (1789-1863) served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Army Gold Cross for his valor at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Throughout its history, the surname MANSMITH has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the eastern counties. While its prevalence may have diminished in modern times, it remains a testament to the skilled blacksmiths and tradesmen who played a vital role in the development of England's industries and agricultural practices.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mansmith
Among Census respondents with the surname Mansmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mansmith 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 Mansmith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mansmith
Mansmith 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,791 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Mansmith 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mansmith bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Mansmith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mansmith?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Mansmith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Mansmith?
Mansmith ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Mansmith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mansmith.
Has Mansmith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mansmith went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Mansmith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mansmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mansmith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mansmith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (10.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mansmith (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 Mansmith mean?
A surname combining occupational terms for a male smith, possibly a village blacksmith. 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 Mansmith (0.04 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 Mansmith?
You can see how many people have the surname Mansmith on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.