2010
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meilstrup
A surname of Danish origin referring to a place name or locality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Meilstrup. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meilstrup 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Meilstrup in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meilstrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meilstrup
The surname MEILSTRUP originates from Denmark, with its roots dating back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from a Danish place name, possibly referring to a small village or settlement where the earliest bearers of the name resided.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MEILSTRUP surname can be found in the Danish Census Records of 1645, where a Hans MEILSTRUP is listed as a resident of the town of Odense. This suggests that the name had already been established and in use for several centuries by that point.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Jens MEILSTRUP (1630-1702), a Danish nobleman and landowner who held significant influence in the region of Jutland. His descendants continued to carry the MEILSTRUP name, contributing to its spread and prominence in Danish society.
Another individual of historical significance was Maren MEILSTRUP (1785-1863), a renowned Danish author and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her literary contributions helped to further cement the MEILSTRUP name in the cultural fabric of Denmark.
In the 19th century, the MEILSTRUP surname also found its way to other parts of Scandinavia, as evidenced by the birth of Erik MEILSTRUP in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1845. Erik later became a successful merchant and businessman, highlighting the geographic expansion of the name.
As time progressed, the MEILSTRUP surname continued to be carried by individuals across various professions and walks of life. One notable example is Niels MEILSTRUP (1901-1976), a Danish architect who played a significant role in the modernist architectural movement of the 20th century, leaving a lasting impact on the Danish built environment.
While the surname MEILSTRUP may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Danish countryside, where it first emerged as a marker of identity and heritage for those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meilstrup
Among Census respondents with the surname Meilstrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Meilstrup 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 Meilstrup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meilstrup
Meilstrup 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,648 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 9,648 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 Meilstrup 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 | #133,863 | #143,511 | -7.2% |
| Count | 126 | 118 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meilstrup bearers went from 126 to 118 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 9,648 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #143,511.
FAQ
Meilstrup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meilstrup?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Meilstrup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Meilstrup?
Meilstrup ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Meilstrup. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Meilstrup.
Has Meilstrup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meilstrup went from 126 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Meilstrup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meilstrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (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 Meilstrup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meilstrup appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (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 Meilstrup (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 Meilstrup mean?
A surname of Danish origin referring to a place name or locality. 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 Meilstrup (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 are called Meilstrup?
See how many Americans have the surname Meilstrup on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.