2000
#4,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,423
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Meister
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a master craftsman or artisan, particularly a baker or brewer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,303 Americans carry the last name Meister. That puts it at #4,740 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meister 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
8.3K
1 in 41,281
Census rank
#4,740
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,241 bearers of the surname Meister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4740th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meister, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meister
The surname Meister is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "meister," which means "master" or "teacher." This name was originally an occupational surname given to skilled craftsmen, artisans, or teachers who had achieved mastery in their respective fields.
The earliest known records of the Meister surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It was often associated with guilds and trade organizations, where skilled workers were recognized as masters of their craft.
During the medieval period, the Meister name appeared in various historical documents and records. One notable example is the Meister Eckhart (c. 1260-1328), a German theologian, philosopher, and mystic who was known for his profound teachings on spiritual enlightenment and the nature of the divine.
In the 15th century, Johann Meister (c. 1435-1501), a German printer and publisher, played a significant role in the early development of the printing industry. He established a printing press in Augsburg and produced several notable works, including the first printed edition of the Bible in the German language.
Another prominent figure was Georg Meister (1653-1713), a German architect and sculptor who contributed to the baroque architectural style in Saxony. He designed several notable buildings, including the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, which was later rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II.
In the realm of music, the name Meister is associated with the German composer and organist Johann Gottfried Meister (1692-1748), who was renowned for his keyboard works and sacred compositions. His contributions helped shape the development of baroque music in Germany.
Moving into the 19th century, Friedrich Wilhelm Meister (1785-1870) was a German jurist and statesman who played a significant role in the legal reforms of Prussia and the unification of Germany under Prussian leadership.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the Meister surname throughout history, reflecting its longstanding association with mastery, craftsmanship, and intellectual pursuits in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meister
Among Census respondents with the surname Meister, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Meister 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 Meister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 6,747
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 206
- Two or more races2.7% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
- Black or African American0.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meister
Meister 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
#4,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,885
+462 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Down 77 places
2020
#4,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,241
-644 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,419 | 7,423 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,496 | 7,885 | 2.67 | +462 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 77 places |
| 2020 | #4,740 | 7,241 | 2.42 | -644 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 244 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 Meister 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 | #4,496 | #4,740 | -5.4% |
| Count | 7,885 | 7,241 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.67 | 2.42 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meister bearers went from 7,885 to 7,241 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,496 to #4,740.
FAQ
Meister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meister?
Name Census estimates that about 8,303 living Americans carry the surname Meister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,281 residents.
How common is Meister?
Meister ranks #4,740 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,241 people with the surname Meister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,303), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Meister.
Has Meister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meister went from 7,885 recorded bearers to 7,241. That is a decrease of 644 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,496 to #4,740.
What does the Census say about the background of Meister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meister, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Meister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (6,747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Meister (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 Meister mean?
An occupational surname of German origin, referring to a master craftsman or artisan, particularly a baker or brewer. 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 Meister (2.42 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 Meister?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Meister at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.