Mehu last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Mehu is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mehu.

Meaning of Mehu

A Finnish surname possibly derived from an old name for honey.

Mehu, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mehu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mehu in America

Mehu is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mehu surname appeared 232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mehu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mehu to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 81458 90252 -10.24%
Count 232 190 19.91%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.07 13.33%

The history of the last name Mehu

The surname "MEHU" has its origins in Finland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Finnish word "mehu," which means "juice" or "sap." This name was likely given to someone who worked with trees or in the production of sap-based products.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "MEHU" can be found in the parish records of Turku, Finland, in the late 1500s. These records mention a family by the name of Mehu residing in the area. It is possible that the name originated as a descriptive nickname for an individual involved in forestry or related occupations.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name "MEHU" appeared in various regions of Finland, particularly in the western and southern parts of the country. Some variations in spelling, such as "Mehuu" and "Mehö," were also documented in historical records from this period.

Interestingly, the name "MEHU" has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Juho Mehu, a Finnish botanist born in 1842 who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Finland. His research and publications helped advance the understanding of the country's flora.

Another prominent bearer of the surname "MEHU" was Kaarlo Mehu, a Finnish politician and member of the Finnish parliament (Eduskunta) in the early 20th century. He served as a representative for the Social Democratic Party and played a role in shaping the nation's political landscape during his time in office.

In the realm of literature, Aino Mehu, born in 1887, was a celebrated Finnish author and poet. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and the human experience, earned her recognition and a dedicated following among Finnish readers.

It is worth noting that the surname "MEHU" has also been associated with several notable families and individuals in the field of agriculture and forestry in Finland throughout history, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its potential origins related to sap and tree-based activities.

While the surname "MEHU" is not among the most common in Finland today, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made their mark in various fields, from science and politics to literature and the arts, reflecting the diverse contributions of those bearing this distinctive Finnish surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mehu

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mehu.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mehu was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.31% 10
Non-Hispanic Black Only 83.19% 193
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.88% 9
Hispanic Origin 8.62% 20

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mehu has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.31% 7.37% -52.40%
Black 83.19% 85.79% -3.08%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 3.88% 5.26% -30.20%
Hispanic 8.62% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mehu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mehu, please contact us.

Reference this page

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"Mehu last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mehu-surname-popularity/.

"Mehu last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mehu-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Mehu last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mehu-surname-popularity/.

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