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

Meads, 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 Meads surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meads in America

Meads is the 13985th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meads surname appeared 2,155 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 Meads.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meads 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 Meads

The surname Meads is an English occupational name that originated in the medieval period. It derived from the Old English word "mæd," meaning meadow or grassland. Those with the surname Meads were likely involved in tending or living near meadows or pastures.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various county records across England. One of the earliest known bearers was Robert de la Mede, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The prefix "de la" indicates the topographic origin of the name.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a certain William atte Mede was recorded in Oxfordshire. The use of "atte" in this spelling further reinforces the locational connection of the name to meadows or grasslands. Other early spellings included Mede, Meede, and Meades, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

The Meads surname also appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as a place name in various counties, such as Berkshire and Hampshire. These place names likely influenced the adoption of the surname by those residing in or near these locations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Meads include:

1. Richard Meades (1586-1629), an English clergyman and scholar who served as a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
2. William Meade (1789-1862), an American Episcopal bishop and prominent figure in the Episcopal Church in Virginia.
3. George Gordon Meade (1815-1872), a celebrated American military officer who commanded the Union forces at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
4. Everard Meade (1590-1658), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the 17th century.
5. Robert Meade (1625-1693), an English soldier and landowner who served as Governor of the English colony of Maryland from 1684 to 1689.

While the surname Meads originated as an occupational name related to meadows and grasslands, it has since become a widespread family name, particularly in regions of England and the United States where its early bearers settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meads

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

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

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

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