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

Meador, 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 Meador surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meador in America

Meador is the 3474th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meador surname appeared 10,292 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Meador.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meador 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 Meador

The surname Meador is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "meadherd," which means "keeper of the meadows." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely employed as meadow keepers or individuals responsible for overseeing and maintaining meadows or pastures.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meador can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire, dated 1191, which mentions a person named William le Meador. This historical document provides evidence that the name was in use during the late 12th century in the English county of Wiltshire.

In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Meadour" and "Medour," appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and spelling inconsistencies during that time.

The Meador surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Mead Town in Shropshire and Mead Farm in Buckinghamshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa, as it was common for surnames to be derived from the names of places where families resided.

One notable figure in history with the surname Meador was Sir William Meador (1548-1623), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was John Meador (1629-1701), a wealthy landowner and influential figure in colonial Virginia, who played a role in the establishment of early settlements in the region.

Other historical figures bearing the Meador surname include:

1. Richard Meador (c. 1670-1742), an English clergyman and author known for his theological writings.
2. Elizabeth Meador (1735-1809), a British philanthropist and social reformer, known for her advocacy of women's education and support for charitable causes.
3. Samuel Meador (1781-1858), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States House of Representatives.
4. Mary Meador (1819-1905), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States, who founded one of the earliest schools for girls in the state of Tennessee.
5. James Meador (1904-1988), a renowned American painter and artist, known for his landscapes and portraiture, whose works are held in various museums and private collections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meador

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!