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

Meadors, 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 Meadors surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meadors in America

Meadors is the 8834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meadors surname appeared 3,709 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 Meadors.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meadors 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 Meadors

The surname Meadors is of English origin, emerging from the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from a place called Meadows or Meadeways, which refers to grasslands or meadows. The name likely originated in one of the numerous locations in England bearing this name.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Meadors dates back to the 14th century. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a John atte Medewes is mentioned, indicating the name's association with meadows or grasslands.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Medewes, Meadows, and Medeways, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. A notable example is William Medewes, born in 1432 in Gloucestershire, who served as a member of the local gentry.

The Meadors surname gained prominence during the Tudor period. Sir John Meadows (1489-1556) was a renowned lawyer and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in the 1540s. He played a significant role in the dissolution of monasteries under King Henry VIII.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the Meadors family produced several notable figures. Captain Thomas Meadors (1611-1676) was a Royalist soldier who fought for King Charles I, while his cousin, Richard Meadors (1618-1692), was a Puritan and supported the Parliamentarian cause.

In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles. James Meadors (1725-1798), a Scottish merchant, established a successful trading company in Glasgow, contributing to the city's economic growth.

As the British Empire expanded, the Meadors surname traveled across the globe. One notable figure was Sir George Meadors (1780-1853), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1842.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals bearing the Meadors surname. William Meadors (1819-1892) was an English author and poet, known for his works on nature and rural life. Meanwhile, in the United States, John Meadors (1845-1923) was a respected lawyer and judge in Texas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meadors

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

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

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

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