2000
#1,126
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.54
Uncommon Last name
Meeks
Derived from the Middle English "meek," referring to someone who is humble, gentle, or courteous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,840 Americans carry the last name Meeks. That puts it at #1,208 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meeks 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 Meeks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,437
Census rank
#1,208
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,638 bearers of the surname Meeks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1208th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meeks
The surname Meeks has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "meoc," which means "servant" or "attendant." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who held positions as servants or attendants in royal or noble households.
The earliest recorded instances of the Meeks surname can be found in various historical records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Meoc" and "Meocs." This valuable document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings throughout England at the time.
One notable figure associated with the Meeks surname was Richard Meeks (c. 1450-1505), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1492 until his death. He was known for his involvement in the construction of Norwich Cathedral's cloisters and for his significant contributions to the city's religious and cultural life.
Another prominent individual bearing the Meeks surname was Sir Thomas Meeks (1551-1617), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. He was also renowned for his philanthropic efforts, having founded a school in Littleport, Cambridgeshire.
In the literary realm, John Meeks (1782-1856) was an English poet and writer who gained recognition for his works, including "The Beauties of Modern Poetry" and "Miscellaneous Poems." He was born in Nottingham and spent much of his life in the East Midlands region of England.
The Meeks surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Meeks Farm in Suffolk and Meeks Road in Hampshire. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Meeks surname who resided or owned land in those areas.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Meeks (1608-1683), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony, Cornwall, during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and played a significant role in the conflict, commanding a regiment of foot soldiers.
While the Meeks surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origin and evolution of this surname within the English context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meeks
Among Census respondents with the surname Meeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Meeks 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 Meeks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.7% · 20,259
- Black or African American20.2% · 5,783
- Two or more races4.6% · 1,322
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 868
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 273
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 133
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meeks
Meeks 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
#1,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,457
+1,031 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 9.99
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#1,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,638
-819 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 9.58
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,126 | 28,426 | 10.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,202 | 29,457 | 9.99 | +1,031 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #1,208 | 28,638 | 9.58 | -819 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 6 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 Meeks 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 | #1,202 | #1,208 | -0.5% |
| Count | 29,457 | 28,638 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.99 | 9.58 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meeks bearers went from 29,457 to 28,638 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,202 to #1,208.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Meeks
FAQ
Meeks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meeks?
Name Census estimates that about 32,840 living Americans carry the surname Meeks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,437 residents.
How common is Meeks?
Meeks ranks #1,208 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,638 people with the surname Meeks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,840), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Meeks.
Has Meeks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meeks went from 29,457 recorded bearers to 28,638. That is a decrease of 819 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,202 to #1,208.
What does the Census say about the background of Meeks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meeks, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Meeks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.7% (20,259 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meeks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.7%), Black (20.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Meeks (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 Meeks mean?
Derived from the Middle English "meek," referring to someone who is humble, gentle, or courteous. 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 Meeks (9.58 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 have the last name Meeks?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Meeks at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.