2000
#19,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Mehr
A surname of Persian origin meaning "kind" or "benevolent."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,753 Americans carry the last name Mehr. That puts it at #18,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 195,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mehr 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 Mehr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 195,524
Census rank
#18,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,529 bearers of the surname Mehr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mehr
The surname MEHR is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the German word "mehr," which means "more" or "greater." It is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who was taller, larger, or more prosperous than others.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MEHR can be found in historical documents from the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Hans Mehr, a merchant from the town of Augsburg, whose name appeared in records from the year 1487.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name MEHR was also found in various Germanic regions, including parts of modern-day Switzerland and Austria. In Swiss records from the 1600s, there are mentions of families with the surname Mehr residing in the cantons of Bern and Lucerne.
One notable individual with the surname MEHR was Johann Baptist Mehr, a German composer and organist who lived from 1638 to 1701. He served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and was renowned for his sacred compositions and organ works.
In the 18th century, the name MEHR appeared in various regions of Germany, including the states of Saxony and Brandenburg. A prominent figure from this period was Johann Matthias Mehr, a German theologian and author who was born in 1718 and died in 1783. He wrote several influential works on religious topics and served as a professor at the University of Halle.
Another individual of note with the surname MEHR was Johann Michael Mehr, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1766 to 1843. He was known for his landscape paintings and engravings, and some of his works can be found in art galleries across Germany and Europe.
As the centuries progressed, the name MEHR continued to be present in various German-speaking regions, with families bearing this surname settling in different parts of Europe and eventually immigrating to other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mehr
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mehr 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 Mehr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 1,283
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.9% · 136
- Two or more races4.9% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mehr
Mehr 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
#19,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,415
+117 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 124 places
2020
#18,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,529
+114 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 1,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,313 | 1,298 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,189 | 1,415 | 0.48 | +117 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 124 places |
| 2020 | #18,005 | 1,529 | 0.51 | +114 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 1,184 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 Mehr 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 | #19,189 | #18,005 | 6.2% |
| Count | 1,415 | 1,529 | 8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.51 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mehr bearers went from 1,415 to 1,529 (+8.1% change). The surname moved up 1,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,189 to #18,005.
FAQ
Mehr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mehr?
Name Census estimates that about 1,753 living Americans carry the surname Mehr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 195,524 residents.
How common is Mehr?
Mehr ranks #18,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 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 1,529 people with the surname Mehr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,753), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 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 Mehr.
Has Mehr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mehr went from 1,415 recorded bearers to 1,529. That is an increase of 114 (+8.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,189 to #18,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Mehr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Mehr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (1,283 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mehr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Mehr (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 Mehr mean?
A surname of Persian origin meaning "kind" or "benevolent." 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 Mehr (0.51 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 Mehr?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.