2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Medus
A Latin surname originally representing a person from the town of Medus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Medus. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Medus 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Medus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Medus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Medus
The surname MEDUS is believed to have originated in Greece, with roots dating back to ancient times. The name is thought to be derived from the Greek word "medussa," which means "guardian" or "protector." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have held positions of authority or were responsible for safeguarding individuals or communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MEDUS surname can be found in ancient Greek texts and manuscripts from the 5th century BC. These documents mention individuals with variations of the name, such as MEDUSAS and MEDUSON, who were likely prominent figures in their respective regions.
During the Byzantine era, between the 4th and 15th centuries AD, the MEDUS surname was particularly prevalent in the Greek regions of the Byzantine Empire. Several notable individuals bore this name, including Theodoros MEDUS, a high-ranking military commander who served under Emperor Basil II in the late 10th century.
As the Byzantine Empire expanded its influence, the MEDUS surname spread to other parts of the Mediterranean and the Balkans. In the 12th century, a merchant named Georgios MEDUS was documented in records from the Republic of Venice, indicating the name's presence in the thriving trade networks of the time.
During the Ottoman period, which lasted from the 14th to the early 20th century, the MEDUS surname maintained a presence in Greek communities within the Ottoman Empire. One notable individual was Ioannis MEDUS, a scholar and educator who lived in the 16th century and contributed to the preservation of Greek culture and language during Ottoman rule.
In the 19th century, as the Greek War of Independence unfolded, several MEDUS individuals played pivotal roles. Petros MEDUS, born in 1786, was a prominent military leader who fought against Ottoman forces, while Konstantinos MEDUS, born in 1801, was a respected diplomat and statesman who helped shape the newly independent Greek state.
Throughout its history, the MEDUS surname has been associated with various places and regions in Greece, including the islands of the Aegean Sea, the Peloponnese region, and the mainland regions of Attica and Thessaly. Variations of the name, such as MEDOUSSIS and MEDOUSIS, can also be found in some areas, reflecting local linguistic adaptations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Medus
Among Census respondents with the surname Medus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Medus 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 Medus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Medus
Medus 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,777 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 8,777 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 Medus 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 | #159,712 | #150,935 | 5.5% |
| Count | 101 | 108 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Medus bearers went from 101 to 108 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 8,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,935.
FAQ
Medus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Medus?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Medus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Medus?
Medus ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Medus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Medus.
Has Medus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Medus went from 101 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 7 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Medus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Medus, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Medus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Medus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (2.8%). 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 Medus (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 Medus mean?
A Latin surname originally representing a person from the town of Medus. 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 Medus (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 Americans have the surname Medus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.