2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meale
A surname derived from an occupational term for a miller or grinder of grain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Meale. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meale 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Meale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Meale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meale
The surname MEALE is of English origin, first appearing in historical records during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'male', meaning 'speech' or 'discourse'. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly talkative or eloquent.
One of the earliest recorded references to the MEALE surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, which mentions a John le Mele. The use of the prefix 'le' in this case indicates that the name was originally a descriptive term rather than a locational surname.
In the 14th century, the MEALE surname appeared in various forms, such as Mele, Meale, and Meill, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in those times. The surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1384, where a Thomas Meale is listed.
During the 15th century, the MEALE surname spread across various regions of England, with notable instances including John Meale, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1475, and William Meale, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1498.
In the 16th century, notable individuals with the MEALE surname included Henry Meale (c. 1515-1589), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Rochester from 1582 until his death. Another prominent figure was John Meale (c. 1530-1595), a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in London.
The 17th century saw the MEALE surname continue to be found across various parts of England, with records such as the marriage of Ambrose Meale and Mary Keyte in Gloucester in 1632, and the birth of William Meale in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1689.
In the 18th century, notable individuals with the MEALE surname included Richard Meale (1708-1784), a British Army officer who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, and John Meale (1745-1820), a successful merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire.
As the centuries progressed, the MEALE surname continued to be found across various regions of England, as well as in other parts of the world due to migration and exploration. Notable individuals in more recent history include William Meale (1803-1887), a British architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London, and Frederick Meale (1890-1959), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meale
Among Census respondents with the surname Meale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Meale 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 Meale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.0% · 8
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meale
Meale 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+27 bearers (+25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 15,598 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-18 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,508 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+25.5%) | Up 15,598 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 17,508 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 Meale 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 | #128,249 | #145,757 | -13.7% |
| Count | 133 | 115 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meale bearers went from 133 to 115 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 17,508 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #145,757.
FAQ
Meale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meale?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Meale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Meale?
Meale ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Meale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Meale.
Has Meale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meale went from 133 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Meale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meale, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Meale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Meale (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 Meale mean?
A surname derived from an occupational term for a miller or grinder of grain. 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 Meale (0.04 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 surname Meale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.