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

Masterson, 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 Masterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Masterson in America

Masterson is the 2961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Masterson surname appeared 12,117 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Masterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Masterson 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 Masterson

The surname Masterson originated in Ireland, with its earliest known use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Irish personal name "Muireadhach," meaning "lord" or "master." The name was anglicized to "Masterson" and other variations such as "Masson" and "Masson."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Masterson can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan scholars in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Gillamhuire Masterson, who was the chief of Fermanagh in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Masterson family held lands in County Fermanagh, and their name is associated with several place names in the area, such as Masterson's Bawn and Masterson's Island. The Mastersons were also prominent in County Monaghan, where they were influential landowners and members of the local gentry.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Masterson surname is found in the Register of the Priory of St. Thomas the Martyr, Dublin, which dates back to the 13th century. The register mentions a "William Masterson" who was a tenant of the priory in the year 1278.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Masterson. One such figure was Sir Richard Masterson (c. 1590-1665), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Another prominent Masterson was Walter Masterson (1804-1901), an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-19th century.

Other notable Mastersons include:

1. Bartholomew Masterson (c. 1515-1585), an Irish judge and landowner in County Fermanagh.
2. William Masterson (1809-1885), an Irish-American businessman and politician in Philadelphia.
3. Mary Stuart Masterson (born 1966), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Benny & Joon" and "Fried Green Tomatoes."
4. Michael Masterson (1888-1957), an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament.
5. Peter Masterson (1934-2018), an American actor, writer, and director best known for the film "The Trip to Bountiful."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Masterson

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

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

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

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