2000
#7,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,903
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Mash
An English occupational surname for a brewer of malt liquor or beer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,060 Americans carry the last name Mash. That puts it at #15,658 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,386 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mash 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 Mash with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,386
Census rank
#15,658
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,796 bearers of the surname Mash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15658th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mash, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mash
The surname Mash has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "masc," which referred to a mesh or net, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in fishing or related occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, the comprehensive survey conducted by order of William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name appears as "Masc," indicating its presence in England during the Norman period.
During the 13th century, the name Mash began to appear more frequently in various records and documents across different regions of England, particularly in areas with strong fishing communities or settlements located near bodies of water. Variations in spelling, such as "Mashe" and "Massh," were also commonly observed.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Mash include Sir John Mash (1533-1609), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another noteworthy figure was Richard Mash (1675-1744), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge.
In the 16th century, the surname Mash was also found in connection with various place names, such as Mash Barn in Oxfordshire and Mash Farm in Hertfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who owned or resided in those locations.
Other historical figures with the surname Mash include Thomas Mash (1592-1647), an English clergyman and author known for his work "A Most Excellent Sermon Upon the Passion of Christ," and William Mash (1684-1758), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
While the surname Mash may not have the same prominence today as it did in earlier centuries, its historical roots and connections to fishing, occupations, and place names in England provide a rich tapestry of meaning and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mash
Among Census respondents with the surname Mash, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mash 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 Mash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 1,494
- Black or African American7.0% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 73
- Two or more races3.8% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mash
Mash 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
#14,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,987
-1,916 bearers (-49.1%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 7,033 places
2020
#15,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,796
-191 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 765 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,860 | 3,903 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,893 | 1,987 | 0.67 | -1,916 bearers (-49.1%) | Down 7,033 places |
| 2020 | #15,658 | 1,796 | 0.60 | -191 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 765 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 Mash 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 | #14,893 | #15,658 | -5.1% |
| Count | 1,987 | 1,796 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.60 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mash bearers went from 1,987 to 1,796 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 765 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,893 to #15,658.
FAQ
Mash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mash?
Name Census estimates that about 2,060 living Americans carry the surname Mash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,386 residents.
How common is Mash?
Mash ranks #15,658 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,796 people with the surname Mash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,060), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mash.
Has Mash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mash went from 1,987 recorded bearers to 1,796. That is a decrease of 191 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,893 to #15,658.
What does the Census say about the background of Mash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mash, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (1,494 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (7.0%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mash (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 Mash mean?
An English occupational surname for a brewer of malt liquor or beer. 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 Mash (0.60 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 Mash?
You can see how many people have the surname Mash on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.