2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mehm
A surname possibly derived from an occupational name referring to a village clerk or surveyor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mehm. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mehm 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mehm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mehm
The surname "MEHM" has its origins tracing back to the Middle Ages in Central Europe, specifically in the region of modern-day Germany. It is believed to have derived from an Old German word "meim", which meant "home" or "dwelling". This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a particular homestead or settlement.
Records from the 13th century indicate the presence of individuals bearing the surname "MEHM" in various parts of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable mention is found in a manuscript from the town of Heidelberg, dated 1275, where a certain Konrad Mehm is listed as a landowner.
The earliest recorded instance of the name "MEHM" can be traced back to a document from the year 1287, in which a man named Johannes Mehm was mentioned as a witness in a land dispute settlement in the city of Nuremberg. This document is currently housed in the Bavarian State Archives in Munich.
In the 15th century, the surname "MEHM" appeared in the records of the city of Cologne, where a family of merchants and tradesmen bearing this name was documented. One of the most prominent members of this family was Heinrich Mehm, born in 1429, who served as a respected alderman and held a position of influence in the city's guild system.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "MEHM" spread across various regions of Germany and neighboring countries. In the 17th century, a notable figure was Johann Mehm, born in 1612 in the town of Erfurt, who became a renowned scholar and theologian, authoring several influential works on religious doctrine.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Mehm, born in 1765 in the city of Berlin. He was a renowned military strategist and served as a general in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars, playing a crucial role in several major battles.
In the 19th century, the surname "MEHM" found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable bearer of this name was Wilhelm Mehm, born in 1824 in the city of Hamburg. He was a pioneering explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in South America.
Throughout its history, the surname "MEHM" has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from landowners and merchants to scholars, military leaders, and explorers. While the name may have originated from a humble reference to a dwelling or settlement, it has since taken on a rich tapestry of meanings and associations, reflecting the diverse experiences and achievements of those who have carried it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mehm
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mehm 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 Mehm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.0% · 14
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mehm
Mehm 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,267 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,966 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,267 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5,966 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 Mehm 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 | #138,304 | #144,270 | -4.3% |
| Count | 121 | 117 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mehm bearers went from 121 to 117 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5,966 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mehm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mehm?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mehm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mehm?
Mehm ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mehm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mehm.
Has Mehm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mehm went from 121 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mehm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Mehm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mehm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Mehm (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 Mehm mean?
A surname possibly derived from an occupational name referring to a village clerk or surveyor. 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 Mehm (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 common is the surname Mehm?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Mehm, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.