2000
#16,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,567
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Mayeux
A French surname derived from a nickname for someone with an ugly or disfigured face.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,896 Americans carry the last name Mayeux. That puts it at #16,806 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 180,778 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mayeux 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.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 180,778
Census rank
#16,806
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,653 bearers of the surname Mayeux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16806th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayeux, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mayeux
The surname Mayeux has its roots in France, particularly in the Normandy region. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "maiou," which means "May-born" or "born in May." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone born during the month of May.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mayeux surname can be found in the Livre Terrien, a historical document from the Duchy of Normandy dating back to the 13th century. The name appeared as "Mayeux" and was associated with families residing in various villages across Normandy.
In the 14th century, historical records mention a notable figure named Jean Mayeux, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Rouen. Born in 1325, Jean Mayeux played a significant role in the local economy and was known for his successful trading ventures.
During the 16th century, the Mayeux surname gained further recognition when a family of that name settled in the Champagne region of France. Nicolas Mayeux, born in 1562, was a respected winemaker and vineyard owner whose wines were highly sought after by the French nobility.
In the 17th century, the name Mayeux appeared in the records of the French colony of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia, Canada). Pierre Mayeux, born in 1645, was among the early French settlers in the region and played a role in establishing the Acadian community.
Another notable figure bearing the Mayeux surname was Louis Mayeux, a French artist and caricaturist who lived from 1809 to 1854. He was known for his satirical illustrations and political cartoons, which often criticized the French government and social issues of the time.
Throughout history, the Mayeux surname has been associated with various places in France, such as Mayeux-sur-Orne, a commune in the Calvados department of Normandy, and Mayeux-Ville, a village in the Marne department of the Grand Est region.
While the Mayeux name has its origins in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with French connections or immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mayeux
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayeux, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mayeux 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 Mayeux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,513
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 50
- Black or African American2.9% · 48
- Two or more races2.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mayeux
Mayeux 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
#17,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,622
+55 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 622 places
2020
#16,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,653
+31 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 592 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,776 | 1,567 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,398 | 1,622 | 0.55 | +55 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 622 places |
| 2020 | #16,806 | 1,653 | 0.55 | +31 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 592 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 Mayeux 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 | #17,398 | #16,806 | 3.4% |
| Count | 1,622 | 1,653 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mayeux bearers went from 1,622 to 1,653 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 592 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,398 to #16,806.
FAQ
Mayeux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mayeux?
Name Census estimates that about 1,896 living Americans carry the surname Mayeux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 180,778 residents.
How common is Mayeux?
Mayeux ranks #16,806 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.55 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 1,653 people with the surname Mayeux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,896), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.55 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 Mayeux.
Has Mayeux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mayeux went from 1,622 recorded bearers to 1,653. That is an increase of 31 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,398 to #16,806.
What does the Census say about the background of Mayeux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayeux, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Mayeux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,513 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mayeux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Black (2.9%). 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 Mayeux (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 Mayeux mean?
A French surname derived from a nickname for someone with an ugly or disfigured face. 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 Mayeux (0.55 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 have the last name Mayeux?
Want to know how common the surname Mayeux is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.