2000
#11,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Masten
Derived from a place name meaning "stone" or "rock" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near a stone boundary or rock formation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,783 Americans carry the last name Masten. That puts it at #12,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,160 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Masten 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Masten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,160
Census rank
#12,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,427 bearers of the surname Masten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Masten, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Masten
The surname Masten is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically the town of Masten or Maston in Gloucestershire, England. The name itself is derived from the Old English words "maest" meaning "highest" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Mastun." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land holdings and resources in England, and it provides a valuable glimpse into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time period.
In the 13th century, the surname Masten appeared in various forms, including Mastun, Maston, and Masten, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those days. During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire.
Notable individuals with the surname Masten throughout history include:
1. John Masten (c. 1560-1630), an English merchant and trader who established trade routes with the Netherlands and France.
2. Elizabeth Masten (1625-1689), a prominent landowner and philanthropist in Somerset, known for her contributions to the establishment of local schools and churches.
3. Robert Masten (1720-1789), a British military officer who served in the Seven Years' War and later became a member of Parliament.
4. Samuel Masten (1837-1912), an American inventor and engineer credited with developing an early form of the mechanical reaper, which revolutionized agricultural practices.
5. Emily Masten (1901-1988), a renowned American botanist and conservationist, known for her work in preserving rare plant species and advocating for environmental protection.
The surname Masten has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Masten Hill in Gloucestershire and Masten Manor in Somerset. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
While the surname Masten is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has persisted through the centuries, carrying with it a rich history and a connection to the rural settlements and agricultural communities of southwestern England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Masten
Among Census respondents with the surname Masten, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Masten 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 Masten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 2,060
- Two or more races4.3% · 105
- Black or African American4.2% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Masten
Masten 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
#11,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,813
+173 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 192 places
2020
#12,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
-386 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 1,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,044 | 2,640 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,236 | 2,813 | 0.95 | +173 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 192 places |
| 2020 | #12,239 | 2,427 | 0.81 | -386 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 1,003 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 Masten 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 | #11,236 | #12,239 | -8.9% |
| Count | 2,813 | 2,427 | -13.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.81 | -14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Masten bearers went from 2,813 to 2,427 (-13.7% change). The surname moved down 1,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,236 to #12,239.
FAQ
Masten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Masten?
Name Census estimates that about 2,783 living Americans carry the surname Masten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,160 residents.
How common is Masten?
Masten ranks #12,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,427 people with the surname Masten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Masten.
Has Masten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Masten went from 2,813 recorded bearers to 2,427. That is a decrease of 386 (-13.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,236 to #12,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Masten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Masten, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (4.2%). 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 Masten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (2,060 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Masten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Black (4.2%). 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 Masten (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 Masten mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "stone" or "rock" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived near a stone boundary or rock formation. 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 Masten (0.81 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 share the surname Masten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.