2000
#3,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,511
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.90
Uncommon Last name
Medlin
Derived from a place name meaning "middle lake" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,458 Americans carry the last name Medlin. That puts it at #3,484 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medlin 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 Medlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 29,914
Census rank
#3,484
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,992 bearers of the surname Medlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3484th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medlin
The surname Medlin originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "midd," meaning "middle," and the suffix "-linge," denoting "a dweller or inhabitant." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in the middle of a particular area or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, which mentions a John Medlinge. The Feet of Fines were ancient legal documents that recorded land transfers and agreements.
In the 14th century, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, such as Medlyng, Medlynge, and Medeling. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that period.
The Medlin surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Medling in Kent and Medlinge in Sussex. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.
One notable individual bearing the Medlin name was John Medlin, born in 1608 in Bredfield, Suffolk, England. He later immigrated to America and settled in Virginia, becoming one of the first Medlins in the New World.
Another significant figure was Richard Medlin, born in 1620 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a Puritan minister who later became the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire.
In the 18th century, William Medlin, born in 1725 in Wiltshire, England, gained recognition as a successful merchant and landowner. His descendants continued to play influential roles in the local community.
Thomas Medlin, born in 1782 in Somerset, England, was a renowned architect and builder. He designed several notable buildings, including the Medlin Manor in his hometown.
During the 19th century, Emily Medlin, born in 1845 in Dorset, England, made a name for herself as a celebrated author and poet. Her works often explored themes of nature and the English countryside.
While the Medlin surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants of early Medlin immigrants establishing themselves in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Medlin 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 Medlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 8,722
- Black or African American5.0% · 503
- Two or more races3.8% · 376
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 276
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medlin
Medlin 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
#3,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,750
+239 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.64
Rank movement Down 193 places
2020
#3,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,992
-758 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 3.34
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,145 | 10,511 | 3.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,338 | 10,750 | 3.64 | +239 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 193 places |
| 2020 | #3,484 | 9,992 | 3.34 | -758 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 146 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 Medlin 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 | #3,338 | #3,484 | -4.4% |
| Count | 10,750 | 9,992 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.64 | 3.34 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medlin bearers went from 10,750 to 9,992 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,338 to #3,484.
FAQ
Medlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medlin?
Name Census estimates that about 11,458 living Americans carry the surname Medlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,914 residents.
How common is Medlin?
Medlin ranks #3,484 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,992 people with the surname Medlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,458), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Medlin.
Has Medlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medlin went from 10,750 recorded bearers to 9,992. That is a decrease of 758 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,338 to #3,484.
What does the Census say about the background of Medlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Medlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (8,722 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Medlin (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 Medlin mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "middle lake" in Old English, likely referring to someone who lived there. 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 Medlin (3.34 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 Medlin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Medlin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.