2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mardin
A surname with geographical origins related to the city of Mardin in southeastern Turkey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Mardin. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mardin 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Mardin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mardin
The surname "MARDIN" is believed to have its origins in the city of Mardin, located in southeastern Turkey. This city has a rich history dating back to the 7th century BC, when it was known as Mardi or Mardin in the Aramaic language.
Mardin was an important city during the medieval period, serving as a center of trade and culture for various civilizations, including the Seljuk Turks and the Ottoman Empire. It is possible that the surname "MARDIN" emerged as a locational name, indicating a person or family who hailed from this historic city.
The earliest known records of the surname "MARDIN" can be traced back to the 14th century, when it appeared in Ottoman Turkish documents and chronicles. During this period, the city of Mardin was a thriving urban center within the Ottoman Empire, and it is likely that the surname gained prominence among residents and families associated with the city.
One notable individual bearing the surname "MARDIN" was Abdülkadir Mardin (1908-1993), a prominent Turkish historian and sociologist who specialized in the study of Ottoman and Turkish history. He was born in Istanbul and made significant contributions to the understanding of the social and cultural dynamics of the Ottoman Empire.
Another historical figure with the surname "MARDIN" was Mehmet Mardin (1856-1909), a Turkish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II. He played a pivotal role in modernizing the Ottoman army and implementing reforms within the military establishment.
In the realm of literature, the name "MARDIN" is associated with Şeyhmus Mardin (1892-1976), a Kurdish poet and writer who was born in the city of Mardin. His works, written in the Kurdish language, explored themes of love, nature, and the cultural heritage of the region.
It is worth noting that the surname "MARDIN" may have also been derived from other place names or variations related to the city, such as "Mardinan" or "Mardini," which were used in historical documents and records.
While the surname "MARDIN" has its roots in the Middle Eastern region, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical significance of this surname remains closely tied to the city of Mardin and its rich cultural and religious heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mardin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mardin 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 Mardin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mardin
Mardin 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-23 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,962 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 24,962 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,461 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 Mardin 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 | #137,327 | #142,788 | -4.0% |
| Count | 122 | 119 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mardin bearers went from 122 to 119 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,788.
FAQ
Mardin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mardin?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Mardin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Mardin?
Mardin ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Mardin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Mardin.
Has Mardin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mardin went from 122 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Mardin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mardin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Mardin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mardin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Mardin (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 Mardin mean?
A surname with geographical origins related to the city of Mardin in southeastern Turkey. 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 Mardin (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 are called Mardin?
Find out how many people have the last name Mardin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.