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

Masters, 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 Masters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Masters in America

Masters is the 1524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Masters surname appeared 23,533 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Masters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Masters 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 Masters

The surname Masters is an English occupational name that originated in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English word 'mæster', meaning a person who holds mastery or skilled knowledge in a particular trade or profession.

The name first appeared in records from the 12th century, with early examples found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166. It was a relatively common surname among skilled artisans, craftsmen, and professionals, particularly in urban areas.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to individuals with variations of the name, such as 'Magister' and 'Maistre', which were early forms of the word 'Master'. These entries indicate that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Robert le Maistre, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1201. Another notable early bearer was William le Mestre, a landholder in Lincolnshire, whose name appears in the Feet of Fines for that county in 1202.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with individuals who held positions of authority or mastery in various fields, such as education, law, or religious orders. For example, William Masters (c. 1370-1431) was a prominent English scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of Oxford University.

In the 16th century, the name was borne by Richard Masters (c. 1480-1535), an English clergyman and theologian who was one of the first Protestants to be burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the Reformation.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Masters (1637-1718), an English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony who was one of the founders of the town of Watertown and served as a deputy to the General Court.

In the 18th century, the name was held by Sir William Masters (1696-1771), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire.

During the 19th century, the name was borne by Maxwell Tylden Masters (1833-1907), an English botanist and taxonomist who made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and fungi.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Masters

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

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

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

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