2000
#3,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.77
Uncommon Last name
Meador
An English occupational surname for a meadow keeper or mower, derived from the Old English "mēdere" meaning "mower."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,177 Americans carry the last name Meador. That puts it at #3,570 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meador 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
11K
1 in 30,666
Census rank
#3,570
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,747 bearers of the surname Meador in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3570th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meador, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 This historical document provides evidence that the name was in use during the late 12th century in the English county of Wiltshire.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meador
Among Census respondents with the surname Meador, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Meador 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 Meador surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 8,777
- Two or more races4.4% · 430
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 283
- Black or African American1.9% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meador
Meador 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
#3,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,292
+118 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 3.49
Rank movement Down 256 places
2020
#3,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,747
-545 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 3.26
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,218 | 10,174 | 3.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,474 | 10,292 | 3.49 | +118 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 256 places |
| 2020 | #3,570 | 9,747 | 3.26 | -545 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 96 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 Meador 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 | #3,474 | #3,570 | -2.8% |
| Count | 10,292 | 9,747 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.49 | 3.26 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meador bearers went from 10,292 to 9,747 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,474 to #3,570.
FAQ
Meador surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meador?
Name Census estimates that about 11,177 living Americans carry the surname Meador. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,666 residents.
How common is Meador?
Meador ranks #3,570 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,747 people with the surname Meador. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,177), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Meador.
Has Meador become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meador went from 10,292 recorded bearers to 9,747. That is a decrease of 545 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,474 to #3,570.
What does the Census say about the background of Meador?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meador, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (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 Meador in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (8,777 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meador appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (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 Meador (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 Meador mean?
An English occupational surname for a meadow keeper or mower, derived from the Old English "mēdere" meaning "mower." 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 Meador (3.26 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 Americans have the surname Meador?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.