2000
#98,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Maskill
An Anglicized form of the French surname Mascouill, derived from an old word for miller or mill worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 239 Americans carry the last name Maskill. That puts it at #94,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,434,119 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maskill 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 Maskill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
239
1 in 1,434,119
Census rank
#94,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
208
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 208 bearers of the surname Maskill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 94341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maskill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maskill
The surname Maskill has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "masca," meaning a small mesh or knot, and "hyll," meaning a hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived on or near a small knoll or hillock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maskill can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Mascylhyll." This document was a survey of landowners and their holdings, indicating that the Maskill family likely had roots in that region.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Maskeyll" and "Maskell," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era. In the 1379 Poll Tax records for Yorkshire, the name is listed as "Maskell."
The Maskill surname is closely associated with the village of Maskill in Lancashire, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots. Maskill is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Maschelesfel," further cementing the connection between the name and the location.
Notable individuals bearing the Maskill surname include:
1. John Maskill (c. 1590 - 1665), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Purleigh in Essex.
2. William Maskill (1807 - 1884), a British architect and surveyor who was instrumental in the design and construction of several notable buildings in London.
3. Robert Maskill (1843 - 1917), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to agricultural machinery.
4. Elizabeth Maskill (1864 - 1945), a renowned English landscape painter known for her pastoral scenes and depictions of rural life.
5. Thomas Maskill (1888 - 1962), a British soldier who served in the First World War and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during the Battle of the Somme.
While the Maskill surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where descendants of the original Maskill families have established themselves over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maskill
Among Census respondents with the surname Maskill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Maskill 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 Maskill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.1% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino24.0% · 50
- Two or more races2.9% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maskill
Maskill 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
-18 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,264 places
2020
#94,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
+56 bearers (+36.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 20,693 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,770 | 170 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | -18 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 16,264 places |
| 2020 | #94,341 | 208 | 0.07 | +56 bearers (+36.8%) | Up 20,693 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 Maskill 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 | #115,034 | #94,341 | 18.0% |
| Count | 152 | 208 | 36.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 39.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maskill bearers went from 152 to 208 (+36.8% change). The surname moved up 20,693 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #94,341.
FAQ
Maskill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maskill?
Name Census estimates that about 239 living Americans carry the surname Maskill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,434,119 residents.
How common is Maskill?
Maskill ranks #94,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 208 people with the surname Maskill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (239), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Maskill.
Has Maskill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maskill went from 152 recorded bearers to 208. That is an increase of 56 (+36.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #115,034 to #94,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Maskill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maskill, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Maskill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.1% (150 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maskill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.1%), Hispanic (24.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Maskill (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 Maskill mean?
An Anglicized form of the French surname Mascouill, derived from an old word for miller or mill worker. 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 Maskill (0.07 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 Maskill?
Want to know how many people have the surname Maskill? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.