2000
#12,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Master
An occupational surname referring to a person who had control or authority over others, such as a teacher or employer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,840 Americans carry the last name Master. That puts it at #12,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Master 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 Master with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,688
Census rank
#12,031
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,477 bearers of the surname Master in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Master, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Master
The surname MASTER is an occupational surname of English origin. It originated in the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word 'māster', meaning a person of authority, skill, or knowledge. The name was initially given to those who held positions of leadership or mastery in various trades and professions.
The earliest recorded instances of the MASTER surname date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented bearers of the name was William le Master, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1275. The 'le' prefix was commonly used at the time to indicate a person's occupation or distinguishing characteristic.
In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, the name appears as 'Mastere', suggesting variations in spelling in different regions. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Robert le Master, further demonstrating the surname's early usage.
The MASTER surname is also linked to several place names across England, such as Masterton in Nottinghamshire and Mastershill in Hertfordshire. These locations likely derived their names from early MASTER families who settled or held lands in those areas.
Notable historical figures with the MASTER surname include:
1. Robert Master (c. 1480-1535), an English clergyman and author who wrote treatises on theological and moral subjects.
2. Thomas Master (1603-1643), an English Puritan minister and religious writer who participated in the Westminster Assembly.
3. John Master (1672-1754), a British landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Cirencester.
4. Mary Master (1718-1771), an English naturalist and entomologist, known for her pioneering work in insect studies.
5. Streynsham Master (1682-1724), an English merchant and administrator who served as the Governor of Fort St. George (Madras) in British India.
Throughout history, the MASTER surname has been found across various regions of England, with concentrations in counties such as Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, and Hertfordshire. The name's enduring presence reflects its occupational origins and the influence of those who held positions of mastery in their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Master
Among Census respondents with the surname Master, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Master 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 Master surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.2% · 1,640
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.0% · 570
- Two or more races3.9% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 93
- Black or African American2.9% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Master
Master 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
#11,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,735
+533 bearers (+24.2%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 1,320 places
2020
#12,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,477
-258 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,822 | 2,202 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,502 | 2,735 | 0.93 | +533 bearers (+24.2%) | Up 1,320 places |
| 2020 | #12,031 | 2,477 | 0.83 | -258 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 529 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 Master 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 | #11,502 | #12,031 | -4.6% |
| Count | 2,735 | 2,477 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.83 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Master bearers went from 2,735 to 2,477 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 529 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,502 to #12,031.
FAQ
Master surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Master?
Name Census estimates that about 2,840 living Americans carry the surname Master. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,688 residents.
How common is Master?
Master ranks #12,031 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,477 people with the surname Master. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,840), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Master.
Has Master become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Master went from 2,735 recorded bearers to 2,477. That is a decrease of 258 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,502 to #12,031.
What does the Census say about the background of Master?
Among Census respondents with the surname Master, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Master in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.2% (1,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Master appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Master (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 Master mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who had control or authority over others, such as a teacher or employer. 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 Master (0.83 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 Master?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.