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

Mayen, 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 Mayen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mayen in America

Mayen is the 15223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mayen surname appeared 1,934 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mayen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mayen 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 Mayen

The surname Mayen is believed to have originated in Germany in the 12th century. It was derived from the Old German word "mei," which meant "May" or "the month of May." The name likely referred to someone born or living in the month of May.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mayen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval Saxon documents dating back to the 12th century. In this text, there is a reference to a person named "Meigen" living in the village of Meiningen.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Meyen," "Meigen," and "Meyjen" in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. These variations suggest that the name may have originated in multiple areas and evolved independently.

The name Mayen is also linked to several place names in Germany, such as the town of Mayen in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. This town was first mentioned in historical records in the 9th century as "Magenum," which is thought to be derived from the same root as the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Mayen include Johann Simon Mayr (1763-1845), a renowned German composer and music theorist who made significant contributions to the development of opera in Italy. Another notable figure is Johann Mayen (1590-1638), a Dutch navigator and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and discovered the island of Jan Mayen, which was named after him.

In the 16th century, there is a record of a German artist named Hans Mayen (1545-1615) who was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings. Additionally, in the 19th century, a German philosopher named Robert Mayen (1844-1924) gained recognition for his works on ethics and social philosophy.

The surname Mayen has also been found in various European countries, including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the German regions and the Old German word "mei."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mayen

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

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

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

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