2000
#10,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Mehl
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a maker or seller of flour or meal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,189 Americans carry the last name Mehl. That puts it at #10,936 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mehl 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
3.2K
1 in 107,480
Census rank
#10,936
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,781 bearers of the surname Mehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10936th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mehl
The surname MEHL originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "Mehl," which means "flour" or "meal." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who worked as millers or were involved in the production or trade of flour.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MEHL appears in the 14th century in the town of Speyer, located in the modern-day German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The name was documented in various municipal records and tax rolls from that period, indicating its presence in the region.
During the 16th century, the MEHL surname gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, a major center for trade and craftsmanship. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged from this area, including Johannes MEHL (1525-1598), a prominent goldsmith and master craftsman whose works were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy.
The MEHL surname can also be found in historical records from other German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In the 17th century, a branch of the MEHL family settled in the town of Freiberg, Saxony, where they established a successful milling business that operated for several generations.
One of the most notable individuals with the MEHL surname was Johann Matthias MEHL (1681-1743), a renowned German architect and master builder. He was responsible for designing and constructing numerous churches, public buildings, and private residences throughout Germany, including the iconic St. Michael's Church in Munich.
Another significant figure was Carl Friedrich MEHL (1796-1869), a German philosopher and educator. He served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg and made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy through his writings and teachings.
In the 19th century, the MEHL surname gained international recognition with the achievements of Gustav MEHL (1822-1895), a German-American inventor and entrepreneur. He is best known for developing and patenting the first successful bottle-capping machine, which revolutionized the bottling industry.
The MEHL surname has also been associated with several prominent military figures throughout history. One such individual was Otto MEHL (1887-1953), a German general who served in both World War I and World War II, and played a crucial role in the defense of Berlin during the latter conflict.
While the MEHL surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on various fields, including craftsmanship, architecture, philosophy, industry, and military service, spanning multiple centuries and regions across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mehl 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 Mehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,563
- Two or more races3.7% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mehl
Mehl 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
#10,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,936
+17 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 699 places
2020
#10,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,781
-155 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,148 | 2,919 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,847 | 2,936 | 1.00 | +17 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 699 places |
| 2020 | #10,936 | 2,781 | 0.93 | -155 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 89 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 Mehl 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 | #10,847 | #10,936 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,936 | 2,781 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.93 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mehl bearers went from 2,936 to 2,781 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,847 to #10,936.
FAQ
Mehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mehl?
Name Census estimates that about 3,189 living Americans carry the surname Mehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,480 residents.
How common is Mehl?
Mehl ranks #10,936 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,781 people with the surname Mehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mehl.
Has Mehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mehl went from 2,936 recorded bearers to 2,781. That is a decrease of 155 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,847 to #10,936.
What does the Census say about the background of Mehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,563 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mehl (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 Mehl mean?
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a maker or seller of flour or meal. 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 Mehl (0.93 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 Mehl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.