2000
#17,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Massenburg
A place surname originating from Massenburgh, a locaity in the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,799 Americans carry the last name Massenburg. That puts it at #17,601 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 190,525 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massenburg 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
1.8K
1 in 190,525
Census rank
#17,601
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,569 bearers of the surname Massenburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17601st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massenburg, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Massenburg
The surname Massenburg is of German origin, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Saxony-Anhalt, which was formerly part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "masse," meaning "mass" or "large quantity," and "burg," meaning "fortified town" or "castle."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Massenburg can be found in the parish records of the town of Quedlinburg, dating back to 1487. These records mention a certain Johann Massenburg, a local landowner and merchant.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Massenburg name began to spread across various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the cities of Leipzig and Dresden. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged during this period, including Heinrich Massenburg (1532-1601), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Leipzig.
In the 18th century, the Massenburg family gained prominence in the world of politics and military service. Johann Friedrich Massenburg (1712-1784) was a Prussian general who served under King Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War. His grandson, Wilhelm von Massenburg (1782-1857), followed in his footsteps and became a respected military officer in the Prussian army.
As the Massenburg family continued to grow and disperse across Europe, some members emigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable figure was Hans Massenburg (1845-1922), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful businessman and philanthropist.
Another individual of significance was Clara Massenburg (1879-1964), a feminist activist and writer from Berlin. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and played a crucial role in the suffrage movement in Germany during the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the surname Massenburg has been associated with various occupations and professions, ranging from military service and academia to business and politics. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have contributed to the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massenburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Massenburg, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Massenburg 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 Massenburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.8% · 1,299
- White10.8% · 169
- Two or more races4.0% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massenburg
Massenburg 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
#16,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,704
+212 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 661 places
2020
#17,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,569
-135 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,426 | 1,492 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,765 | 1,704 | 0.58 | +212 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 661 places |
| 2020 | #17,601 | 1,569 | 0.52 | -135 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 836 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 Massenburg 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 | #16,765 | #17,601 | -5.0% |
| Count | 1,704 | 1,569 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.52 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massenburg bearers went from 1,704 to 1,569 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 836 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,765 to #17,601.
FAQ
Massenburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massenburg?
Name Census estimates that about 1,799 living Americans carry the surname Massenburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 190,525 residents.
How common is Massenburg?
Massenburg ranks #17,601 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.52 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 1,569 people with the surname Massenburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.52 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 Massenburg.
Has Massenburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massenburg went from 1,704 recorded bearers to 1,569. That is a decrease of 135 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,765 to #17,601.
What does the Census say about the background of Massenburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massenburg, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Massenburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (1,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massenburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.8%), White (10.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Massenburg (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 Massenburg mean?
A place surname originating from Massenburgh, a locaity in the Netherlands. 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 Massenburg (0.52 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 common is the surname Massenburg?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Massenburg, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.