2000
#2,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.86
Uncommon Last name
Means
An English surname derived from the Old English word "mene," meaning "moderate" or "average" in size or quality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,805 Americans carry the last name Means. That puts it at #2,287 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,250 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Means 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 Means with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,250
Census rank
#2,287
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,527 bearers of the surname Means in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2287th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Means, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Means
The surname "MEANS" is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mænan," which means "to intend" or "to signify." This name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was perceived as being intentional or purposeful in their actions.
The surname "MEANS" first appeared in historical records in the late 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name was in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which mentioned a person named Robert Mennes. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the surname "MEANS" was documented in various locations across England, including in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, which recorded a John Menes, and in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, which listed a William Menne.
The name "MEANS" has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was John Means (1583-1644), an English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Andrew's Church in Cambridgeshire. Another was Thomas Means (1718-1799), a Scottish-born merchant and plantation owner who settled in Virginia, USA, and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
In the literary realm, Robert Means (1808-1888), an American educator and writer, published several works on grammar and language. Additionally, David Means (born 1961) is a contemporary American author known for his short stories and novels.
Historically, the surname "MEANS" has also been linked to various place names, such as Meanwood in Leeds, England, and Meansteed in Suffolk, England. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close relationship between surnames and geographical locations.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "MEANS," including Robert Means (1808-1891), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist; James Means (1853-1920), an American sculptor and educator; and Gardner Means (1896-1988), an American economist and author.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Means
Among Census respondents with the surname Means, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Means 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 Means surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 9,614
- Black or African American27.4% · 4,259
- Two or more races4.8% · 743
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 523
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 285
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 103
Timeline
Historical Census data for Means
Means 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
#2,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,203
+395 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 5.49
Rank movement Down 140 places
2020
#2,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,527
-676 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 5.19
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,107 | 15,808 | 5.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,247 | 16,203 | 5.49 | +395 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 140 places |
| 2020 | #2,287 | 15,527 | 5.19 | -676 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 40 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 Means 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 | #2,247 | #2,287 | -1.8% |
| Count | 16,203 | 15,527 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 5.49 | 5.19 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Means bearers went from 16,203 to 15,527 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,247 to #2,287.
FAQ
Means surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Means?
Name Census estimates that about 17,805 living Americans carry the surname Means. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,250 residents.
How common is Means?
Means ranks #2,287 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,527 people with the surname Means. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Means.
Has Means become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Means went from 16,203 recorded bearers to 15,527. That is a decrease of 676 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,247 to #2,287.
What does the Census say about the background of Means?
Among Census respondents with the surname Means, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Means in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (9,614 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Means appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.9%), Black (27.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Means (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 Means mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "mene," meaning "moderate" or "average" in size or quality. 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 Means (5.19 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 Means?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.