2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Megnin
French surname derived from an old spelling of "mignon", meaning petite or dainty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Megnin. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Megnin 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Megnin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Megnin, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Megnin
The surname Megnin has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the region of Lorraine in northeastern France, where it was likely derived from a place name or a descriptive nickname.
One theory suggests that the name Megnin may have evolved from the Old French word "maisnil," which referred to a household or a group of servants living together. This could indicate that the surname initially denoted someone who belonged to a specific household or estate.
Another possibility is that Megnin is a variant of the French word "mignon," which means "delicate" or "dainty." This could have been a nickname given to someone with a slender or delicate appearance, which later became a hereditary surname.
The earliest known records of the name Megnin can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1287, a document from the region of Lorraine mentions a "Jehan Megnin," suggesting that the name was already in use at that time.
One notable historical figure with the surname Megnin was Étienne Megnin (1828-1905), a French veterinarian and entomologist. He made significant contributions to the study of forensic entomology and the use of insects in criminal investigations.
Another individual of note was Jean-Pierre Megnin (1857-1934), a French Catholic priest and historian. He authored several works on the history of the Catholic Church in Lorraine and the life of Saint Joan of Arc.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Megnin family residing in the town of Blâmont, located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of northeastern France. This could indicate that the name has deep roots in that particular region.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Megnin family settled in the city of Nancy, which was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine. One member, Claude Megnin (1629-1698), was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.
Another individual worth mentioning is Émile Megnin (1861-1935), a French lawyer and politician. He served as a deputy in the French National Assembly, representing the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, from 1906 to 1910.
While the surname Megnin may not be among the most common in France today, its history and origins can be traced back to the medieval period, with a strong connection to the region of Lorraine and its linguistic and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Megnin
Among Census respondents with the surname Megnin, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Megnin 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 Megnin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Megnin
Megnin 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-18 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 16,540 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 Megnin 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 | #136,449 | #152,989 | -12.1% |
| Count | 123 | 105 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Megnin bearers went from 123 to 105 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 16,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,989.
FAQ
Megnin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Megnin?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Megnin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Megnin?
Megnin ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Megnin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Megnin.
Has Megnin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Megnin went from 123 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Megnin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Megnin, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are 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 Megnin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Megnin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), 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 Megnin (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 Megnin mean?
French surname derived from an old spelling of "mignon", meaning petite or dainty. 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 Megnin (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 share the surname Megnin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.