2000
#8,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,359
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Massengill
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stream by the moss-covered hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,676 Americans carry the last name Massengill. That puts it at #9,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,241 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massengill 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
3.7K
1 in 93,241
Census rank
#9,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,206 bearers of the surname Massengill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Massengill
The surname Massengill has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, likely a combination of two Old English words: "maesse," meaning mass or church, and "ingell," meaning a meadow or pasture. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a meadow or pasture where a church was located.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, from the year 1587, where a John Massengill is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax returns of 1662 for the county of Northamptonshire, indicating its presence in various regions of England during that time.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Robert Massengill, a merchant and landowner who resided in the city of Bristol. Historical records show that he was involved in trade with the American colonies and owned several properties in the area.
As the British Empire expanded, the Massengill surname found its way to other parts of the world. In the late 18th century, a family by the name of Massengill settled in Virginia, United States. Among them was William Massengill, born in 1765, who served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.
Another prominent figure with this surname was John Massengill, a Welsh-born Anglican priest who lived in the 19th century. He served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Northampton, England, from 1832 to 1861.
In more recent history, one of the most well-known individuals with the Massengill name was Thomas D. Massengill, an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Massengill Company in the early 20th century. This company, based in Tennessee, became a leading manufacturer of personal care products, particularly feminine hygiene products.
While the Massengill surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by families and individuals who have contributed to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massengill
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Massengill 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 Massengill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 2,806
- Black or African American5.8% · 186
- Two or more races3.6% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massengill
Massengill 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
#9,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,478
+119 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 401 places
2020
#9,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,206
-272 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,951 | 3,359 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,352 | 3,478 | 1.18 | +119 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 401 places |
| 2020 | #9,670 | 3,206 | 1.07 | -272 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 318 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 Massengill 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 | #9,352 | #9,670 | -3.4% |
| Count | 3,478 | 3,206 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.07 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massengill bearers went from 3,478 to 3,206 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,352 to #9,670.
FAQ
Massengill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massengill?
Name Census estimates that about 3,676 living Americans carry the surname Massengill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,241 residents.
How common is Massengill?
Massengill ranks #9,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,206 people with the surname Massengill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,676), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Massengill.
Has Massengill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massengill went from 3,478 recorded bearers to 3,206. That is a decrease of 272 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,352 to #9,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Massengill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massengill, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Massengill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (2,806 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massengill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Massengill (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 Massengill mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "stream by the moss-covered hill." 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 Massengill (1.07 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 Massengill?
You can see how many people have the last name Massengill on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.