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

Massey, 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 Massey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Massey in America

Massey is the 610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Massey surname appeared 55,595 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Massey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Massey 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 Massey

The surname Massey originated in Normandy, France, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French word "massie," meaning a large estate or manor. It is believed that the name was initially given to someone who lived or worked on such an estate.

The earliest recorded instances of the Massey surname can be found in various historical records from the 11th and 12th centuries. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

During the Middle Ages, the Massey family established themselves in several regions of England, particularly in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. The name was also associated with various place names, such as Massey in Cheshire and Massingham in Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Massey surname was Hamo de Mascy, who lived in the 12th century and was a prominent landowner in Cheshire. Another notable figure was Sir Geoffrey Massey (c. 1275-1349), who served as a knight and fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In the 15th century, the Massey family gained further prominence with the rise of John Massey (c. 1415-1499), a Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of King Henry VI. He was also involved in the Wars of the Roses and played a significant role in the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

During the Tudor period, the Masseys continued to hold influential positions. Sir Reginald Massey (c. 1520-1586) was a prominent courtier and served as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I. His son, Sir George Massey (c. 1550-1612), was a successful military commander and served as the Governor of Flushing in the Netherlands.

In the 17th century, Edward Massey (c. 1619-1674) was a notable Parliamentarian soldier during the English Civil War. He played a crucial role in the defense of Gloucester against the Royalist forces and later became the governor of the city.

The Massey surname has also been associated with various notable individuals in more recent history, such as the British philosopher John Massey (1892-1987) and the American actress Anna Massey (1937-2011).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Massey

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

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 Massey 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 Massey 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 Massey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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