Find out how popular the last name Massengale is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Massengale.

Massengale, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Massengale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Massengale in America

Massengale is the 10301st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Massengale surname appeared 3,128 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Massengale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Massengale to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Massengale

The surname Massengale is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "maesse" meaning "mass" and "engel" meaning "angel," suggesting a possible connection to the church or religious service. The name may have been initially given to someone who worked or lived near a church or monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Massengale can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, where a person named Robert Massengale is mentioned. This ancient record provides evidence of the surname's existence and usage during the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Massengale surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. This document contains information about landowners and their properties, indicating that the Massengale family had established a presence in the region by that time.

During the 14th century, the name Massengale was documented in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire. These records, dating back to 1348, mention a John Massengale who was involved in legal proceedings related to land disputes.

One notable individual with the Massengale surname was Sir William Massengale (1550-1628), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He was a prominent figure in his community and served as a member of the Parliament during the reign of King James I.

Another significant figure was Elizabeth Massengale (1635-1712), a Quaker activist and writer from Warwickshire. She was an outspoken advocate for religious freedom and published several works challenging the established Church of England.

In the 18th century, Thomas Massengale (1718-1794) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Yorkshire. He made significant contributions to the fields of navigation and timekeeping, publishing several influential treatises on celestial mechanics.

The Massengale surname also has connections to the United States, with records indicating that some families emigrated from England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. One notable American with this surname was John Massengale (1776-1859), a farmer and politician from Tennessee who served as a state legislator and supported the cause of abolition.

Another prominent individual was Sarah Massengale (1818-1892), a pioneer and women's rights advocate from Texas. She was actively involved in social reforms and worked tirelessly to establish educational opportunities for women in the rapidly developing American West.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Massengale

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Massengale.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Massengale was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Massengale has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Massengale was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Massengale, please contact us.

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