2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mascoe
A surname derived from the Middle English word "maschecu" meaning "youth" or "servant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mascoe. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mascoe 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mascoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mascoe
The surname Mascoe is believed to have originated in the English counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "mascue," which means "a helmet or mask."
During the Middle Ages, the name Mascoe likely referred to someone who made or sold helmets or masks. The earliest recorded mention of the name was in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195, where a Richard Mascoe was listed as a taxpayer.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire and the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire. The variant spelling "Maskew" was also commonly used at that time.
One notable individual with the Mascoe surname was John Mascoe, a landowner in the village of Kirkby Underwood, Lincolnshire, who lived in the late 13th century. His name was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1301.
In the 14th century, the name Mascoe was found in various records across England, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a William Mascoe was listed as a taxpayer.
During the 16th century, the surname Mascoe was also associated with several prominent individuals. One example is Richard Mascoe, a merchant from London who was born in 1525 and traded with countries in Europe and the Middle East.
Another notable figure was Thomas Mascoe, a member of the English gentry who lived in Nottinghamshire in the late 16th century. He was mentioned in the Visitation of Nottinghamshire in 1592.
In the 17th century, the name Mascoe appeared in various parish records and court documents across England. For instance, a John Mascoe was recorded as a freeman of the City of London in 1632.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Mascoe in America was in 1638, when a Thomas Mascoe was listed as a landowner in the Virginia Colony.
Throughout its history, the surname Mascoe has been associated with several notable individuals, including writers, artists, and military personnel. However, the name has remained relatively uncommon in comparison to other English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mascoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mascoe 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 Mascoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.3% · 60
- Black or African American41.9% · 49
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mascoe
Mascoe 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+17 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,872 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-24 bearers (-17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,956 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 4,872 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.0%) | Down 21,956 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 Mascoe 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 | #122,314 | #144,270 | -18.0% |
| Count | 141 | 117 | -17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mascoe bearers went from 141 to 117 (-17.0% change). The surname moved down 21,956 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mascoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mascoe?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mascoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mascoe?
Mascoe ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mascoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mascoe.
Has Mascoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mascoe went from 141 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mascoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (41.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Mascoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mascoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.3%), Black (41.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Mascoe (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 Mascoe mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "maschecu" meaning "youth" or "servant". 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 Mascoe (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 share the surname Mascoe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.