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

Mas, 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 Mas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mas in America

Mas is the 18317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mas surname appeared 1,513 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 Mas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mas 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 Mas

The surname Mas has its origins in the Catalonia region of Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "mansus," which referred to a farmstead or land holding. In medieval times, the name was often used to identify individuals by their place of residence or the land they owned.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mas surname can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a 13th-century document that documented the distribution of land and property after the Christian conquest of Valencia. This record mentions several individuals with the Mas surname, indicating their presence in the region at that time.

The Mas surname has also been linked to various place names throughout Catalonia, such as Mas d'en Gall, Mas de Barberans, and Mas de les Mates. These place names likely originated from the farmsteads or estates owned by families bearing the Mas surname in those areas.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the "Procés de Cortes," a collection of historical records from the Catalan Courts. One notable individual mentioned in these records was Ramon Mas, a prominent figure involved in the legal proceedings during that era.

During the Renaissance period, several notable figures bore the Mas surname. One such individual was Joan Mas, a renowned Catalan poet and playwright born in 1456. His works, including the play "La Festa del Cos de Déu," were highly influential in Catalan literature.

Another notable figure was Bartomeu Mas, a 16th-century Majorcan cartographer and navigator. He is credited with creating one of the earliest known portolan charts of the Mediterranean Sea, which greatly contributed to the advancement of navigation and mapmaking during that time.

In the 17th century, Pere Mas i Riera, a Catalan priest and historian, was born in 1633. He authored several historical works, including the "Crónica de la Antiquísima Villa de Reus," which documented the history of the town of Reus in Catalonia.

Moving into the 18th century, Juan Mas y Soldevila, born in 1741, was a Spanish military officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1785 to 1789. His contributions during his governorship helped shape the island's development and administration.

In the 19th century, José Mas y Déndia, born in 1801, was a prominent Spanish novelist and playwright. His works, such as the novel "El Conde de Villamar," were widely acclaimed and celebrated during his time.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the Mas surname, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in various regions, particularly in Catalonia and Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mas

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

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

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

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