2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Massat
A French surname derived from the Old French word "masse," meaning a large hammer or mallet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Massat. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massat 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Massat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Massat
The surname Massat has its origins in the southwestern region of France, specifically in the area around the town of Massat in the Ariège department. The name likely derives from the Occitan word "massa," meaning a farmstead or hamlet, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or near the village of Massat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Massat can be found in the Terrier d'Arles, a medieval census document from the 13th century, where a certain Guilhem Massat is mentioned as a landowner in the region. This suggests that the name was already established in the area by the 1200s.
In the 16th century, the Massat family played a notable role in the religious conflicts that swept across France during the Protestant Reformation. Jean Massat (1515-1587), a prominent Protestant leader and lawyer, was a vocal advocate for religious tolerance and freedom of worship. His son, Pierre Massat (1545-1612), followed in his footsteps, becoming a renowned theologian and pastor.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Massat family migrated to the nearby region of Languedoc, where they established themselves as wealthy landowners and merchants. One notable figure from this period was Jacques Massat (1632-1704), a successful businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the area.
In the 18th century, the Massat name gained recognition in the world of academia and literature. Jean-Baptiste Massat (1728-1801), a philosopher and writer, was a member of the prestigious Académie des Sciences, Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres de Toulouse. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely read and celebrated during the Enlightenment era.
The 19th century saw the Massat family expanding its reach across France and beyond. Émile Massat (1808-1876), a renowned geologist and paleontologist, made significant contributions to the study of fossils and prehistoric life. His fieldwork and publications earned him international acclaim, and he was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1861.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Massat throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity of this name rooted in the picturesque region of southwestern France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massat
Among Census respondents with the surname Massat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Massat 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 Massat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 93
- Two or more races9.8% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massat
Massat appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,813 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 Massat 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 | #144,141 | #147,954 | -2.6% |
| Count | 115 | 112 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massat bearers went from 115 to 112 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,813 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,954.
FAQ
Massat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massat?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Massat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Massat?
Massat ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Massat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Massat.
Has Massat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massat went from 115 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Massat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massat, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Massat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Two or More Races (9.8%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Massat (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 Massat mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "masse," meaning a large hammer or mallet. 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 Massat (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 are called Massat?
Want to know how common the surname Massat is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.