2000
#4,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,675
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Rare Last name
Mashburn
An English occupational surname referring to someone who burned mash in the brewing process.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,260 Americans carry the last name Mashburn. That puts it at #5,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,211 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mashburn 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
7.3K
1 in 47,211
Census rank
#5,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,331 bearers of the surname Mashburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mashburn
The surname Mashburn originated in England, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly a town or village called "Mashburn" or a similar spelling. The name may have roots in Old English words like "mæsse" meaning "mass" and "burna" meaning "stream," suggesting a connection to a stream or river near a church or chapel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John de Massheburn. This suggests the name was present in the West Midlands region of England during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Masseborne, Massheburne, and Mashborne in records from Somerset and Gloucestershire counties. These variations likely stemmed from the local dialects and scribal errors common in that era.
The Mashburn surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is William Mashburn (c. 1592-1665), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Shillingstone in Dorset during the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was John Mashburn (1687-1756), a British merchant and landowner who acquired substantial properties in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. His descendants continued to hold influence in those areas for generations.
In the 18th century, Thomas Mashburn (1726-1797) was a successful banker and businessman in London, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting education and healthcare initiatives.
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Mashburn (1812-1890) was a respected educator and author of several textbooks on subjects like arithmetic and grammar, which were widely used in schools across England.
Lastly, Edward Mashburn (1868-1942) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Vic theatre and the Royal Automobile Club headquarters.
While the Mashburn surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British migration and colonization. However, the early origins and historical references firmly establish its English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mashburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Mashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mashburn 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 Mashburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 5,576
- Two or more races4.8% · 306
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 225
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 98
- Black or African American1.4% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mashburn
Mashburn 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
#5,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,688
+13 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Down 395 places
2020
#5,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,331
-357 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 91 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,825 | 6,675 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,220 | 6,688 | 2.27 | +13 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 395 places |
| 2020 | #5,311 | 6,331 | 2.12 | -357 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 91 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 Mashburn 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 | #5,220 | #5,311 | -1.7% |
| Count | 6,688 | 6,331 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 2.12 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mashburn bearers went from 6,688 to 6,331 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 91 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,220 to #5,311.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mashburn
FAQ
Mashburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mashburn?
Name Census estimates that about 7,260 living Americans carry the surname Mashburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,211 residents.
How common is Mashburn?
Mashburn ranks #5,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,331 people with the surname Mashburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mashburn.
Has Mashburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mashburn went from 6,688 recorded bearers to 6,331. That is a decrease of 357 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,220 to #5,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Mashburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mashburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (5,576 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mashburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mashburn (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 Mashburn mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who burned mash in the brewing process. 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 Mashburn (2.12 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 Americans have the surname Mashburn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.