2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Medhin
A Tigrinya surname derived from a nickname for a person of short stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Medhin. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medhin 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Medhin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medhin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medhin
The surname Medhin has its origins in the Tigrinya language spoken in Eritrea and parts of Ethiopia. It is believed to have emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century, derived from the Tigrinya word "medhanie," meaning "savior" or "redeemer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Medhin appears in a manuscript from the 17th century, detailing the lives of notable figures in the Eritrean Orthodox Church. This document mentions a prominent cleric named Abba Medhin, who lived in the late 16th century and was revered for his piety and teachings.
During the 19th century, the name Medhin gained prominence in the Eritrean highlands, particularly in the regions of Hamasien and Akele Guzai. Historical records from this period indicate that several influential families bore this surname, often associated with landowners and local leaders.
One notable bearer of the name Medhin was Blatta Medhin, a prominent military leader who played a crucial role in the resistance against Italian colonial forces in the late 19th century. Born in 1850, he is renowned for his strategic prowess and unwavering determination in defending Eritrean sovereignty.
Another significant figure with the surname Medhin was Ghirmatsion Medhin, a renowned Eritrean poet and writer who lived from 1873 to 1948. His works, written in Tigrinya and Amharic, are celebrated for their poetic beauty and insightful commentary on social and cultural issues of his time.
In the early 20th century, the name Medhin was also associated with several religious leaders and scholars within the Eritrean Orthodox Church. One such figure was Abuna Medhin, a respected bishop who played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Eritrean cultural traditions during the Italian colonial period.
While the surname Medhin has its roots in Eritrea, it has also been found in various parts of Ethiopia, particularly in the Tigray region, which shares cultural and linguistic ties with Eritrea. This is likely due to historical migration patterns and intermarriages between the two regions.
Despite its widespread use, the name Medhin has maintained its strong connection to its Tigrinya origins, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history of the Eritrean and Tigrayan peoples.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medhin
Among Census respondents with the surname Medhin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Medhin 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 Medhin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medhin
Medhin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,516 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 Medhin 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 | #143,149 | #148,665 | -3.9% |
| Count | 116 | 111 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medhin bearers went from 116 to 111 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #148,665.
FAQ
Medhin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medhin?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Medhin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Medhin?
Medhin ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Medhin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Medhin.
Has Medhin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medhin went from 116 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Medhin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medhin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Medhin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medhin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (98.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Medhin (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 Medhin mean?
A Tigrinya surname derived from a nickname for a person of short stature. 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 Medhin (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 are called Medhin?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Medhin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.