2000
#13,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Meiners
A German occupational surname referring to a tenant farmer or steward of a feudal estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,273 Americans carry the last name Meiners. That puts it at #14,475 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meiners 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
2.3K
1 in 150,794
Census rank
#14,475
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,982 bearers of the surname Meiners in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14475th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meiners, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meiners
The surname MEINERS originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "menere," meaning a commoner or peasant. This occupation-based surname was likely bestowed upon an individual who worked as a commoner or held a lower social status.
The name MEINERS is predominantly found in northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. Early records from the 14th century mention the name in various spellings, such as Menere, Menre, and Meynere, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname MEINERS can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical records from the city of Bremen, dating back to the year 1330. The entry mentions a certain "Henricus Menere," suggesting that the name was already in use during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname MEINERS. One such figure was Christoph Meiners (1747-1810), a German philosopher and historian who wrote extensively on topics such as anthropology, ethics, and the philosophy of history. He was a professor at the University of Göttingen and gained recognition for his works on the history of human civilization.
Another prominent individual with the surname MEINERS was Ernst Meiners (1834-1912), a German architect and civil engineer. He is renowned for his architectural designs, including the Elberfeld Town Hall and the Wuppertal Suspension Railway, both located in the city of Wuppertal, Germany.
In the field of literature, Johann Meiners (1778-1858), a German writer and poet, made notable contributions. Born in Hanover, he wrote several works of poetry and prose, often exploring themes of nature and rural life.
The name MEINERS can also be found in historical records related to place names. For instance, the village of Meinersen in Lower Saxony, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from individuals bearing the surname MEINERS who resided in the area during the Middle Ages.
Another example is the town of Meinertshagen, located in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name is thought to have originated from a combination of the surname MEINERS and the German word "Hagen," meaning a fenced area or a hedge.
It is worth noting that while the surname MEINERS has a long and varied history, the specific origins and meanings can vary depending on the individual family lineages and regional contexts. This overview provides a general understanding of the name's evolution and significance within the German cultural and historical landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meiners
Among Census respondents with the surname Meiners, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Meiners 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 Meiners surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 1,867
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 49
- Two or more races1.8% · 36
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meiners
Meiners 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
#14,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,148
+142 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 200 places
2020
#14,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
-166 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,825 | 2,006 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,025 | 2,148 | 0.73 | +142 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 200 places |
| 2020 | #14,475 | 1,982 | 0.66 | -166 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 450 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 Meiners 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 | #14,025 | #14,475 | -3.2% |
| Count | 2,148 | 1,982 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.66 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meiners bearers went from 2,148 to 1,982 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 450 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,025 to #14,475.
FAQ
Meiners surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meiners?
Name Census estimates that about 2,273 living Americans carry the surname Meiners. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,794 residents.
How common is Meiners?
Meiners ranks #14,475 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,982 people with the surname Meiners. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Meiners.
Has Meiners become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meiners went from 2,148 recorded bearers to 1,982. That is a decrease of 166 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,025 to #14,475.
What does the Census say about the background of Meiners?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meiners, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Meiners in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,867 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meiners appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Meiners (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 Meiners mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a tenant farmer or steward of a feudal estate. 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 Meiners (0.66 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 Meiners?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Meiners, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.