2000
#9,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Massengale
An English occupational surname referring to a merchant or trader of mass quantities of goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,378 Americans carry the last name Massengale. That puts it at #10,410 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massengale 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
3.4K
1 in 101,467
Census rank
#10,410
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,946 bearers of the surname Massengale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10410th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massengale
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Massengale 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 Massengale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 2,468
- Black or African American8.5% · 250
- Two or more races4.0% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massengale
Massengale 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
#10,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,128
+34 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 660 places
2020
#10,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,946
-182 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,641 | 3,094 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,301 | 3,128 | 1.06 | +34 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 660 places |
| 2020 | #10,410 | 2,946 | 0.99 | -182 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 109 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 Massengale 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 | #10,301 | #10,410 | -1.1% |
| Count | 3,128 | 2,946 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.99 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massengale bearers went from 3,128 to 2,946 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 109 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,301 to #10,410.
FAQ
Massengale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massengale?
Name Census estimates that about 3,378 living Americans carry the surname Massengale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,467 residents.
How common is Massengale?
Massengale ranks #10,410 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,946 people with the surname Massengale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Massengale.
Has Massengale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massengale went from 3,128 recorded bearers to 2,946. That is a decrease of 182 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,301 to #10,410.
What does the Census say about the background of Massengale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Massengale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (2,468 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massengale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Black (8.5%), 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 Massengale (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 Massengale mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a merchant or trader of mass quantities of goods. 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 Massengale (0.99 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 Massengale?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.