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

Medal, 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 Medal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Medal in America

Medal is the 41799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Medal surname appeared 520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Medal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Medal 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 Medal

The surname MEDAL is of English origin, and it first appeared in the late 16th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "medal," which means "a flat piece of metal stamped with a design." It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who worked as a medal maker or a metalsmith.

The earliest recorded instance of the name MEDAL can be found in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire, England, where a certain John Medal was mentioned in 1598. Additionally, the name appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Warwickshire in 1674, where a William Medal is listed as a resident of the village of Stratford-upon-Avon.

One of the notable individuals with the surname MEDAL was Sir Samuel Medal (1625-1699), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Lichfield from 1673 to 1679. Another prominent figure was John Medal (1718-1786), a renowned English landscape architect and garden designer who is credited with designing the gardens at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Medal (1845-1921), a British educator and social reformer who founded the Medal School for Girls in London. The school was one of the first educational institutions in England to provide a comprehensive education for young women from underprivileged backgrounds.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname MEDAL was Sir John Medal (1902-1988), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II. His pioneering work played a crucial role in the Allied victory over the Axis powers.

Another notable figure was the American writer and poet, Robert Medal (1920-2003), whose works explored themes of identity, social justice, and the human condition. His critically acclaimed novel, "The Invisible Man," published in 1952, is considered a seminal work in African American literature and a classic of the 20th century.

While the surname MEDAL is not among the most common surnames in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including politics, architecture, education, engineering, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Medal

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

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

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

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