2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meitzner
A surname of German origin meaning "miller" or occupational name for someone who operated a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Meitzner. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meitzner 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Meitzner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meitzner
The surname Meitzner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "metz" or "metz-er," which means "butcher" or "slaughterer." It likely emerged as an occupational surname during the medieval period, referring to individuals who worked as butchers or in related professions involving the slaughtering and processing of livestock.
The earliest known instances of the Meitzner surname can be traced back to the late 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany. It was particularly prevalent in areas such as Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, where the cattle and meat trade were significant economic activities.
Historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, including tax rolls and municipal archives, mention individuals bearing the Meitzner name or its variants, such as Metzner, Mezner, or Metzener. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and phonetic differences in pronunciation and spelling.
In the town of Freiberg, located in the Ore Mountains of Saxony, a notable figure named Hans Meitzner (c. 1490-1555) was recorded as a respected master butcher and guild member. His descendants continued the family trade, and the Meitzner name became well-established in the region.
Another prominent individual was Johann Meitzner (1617-1678), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. His published works, including theological treatises and sermons, contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the 18th century, a branch of the Meitzner family migrated from Germany to the Russian Empire, settling in areas such as Volhynia and the Volga region. This migration was part of the larger movement of German colonists invited by the Russian government to populate and develop these territories.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Carl Meitzner (1808-1853), a German philologist and linguist who specialized in the study of Slavic languages. His contributions to the field of Slavic linguistics were significant, and he authored several influential works on the subject.
The Meitzner surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond through various historical migrations and population movements. However, the majority of individuals bearing this name can trace their roots back to the German-speaking regions, where the occupational origin of the surname as "butcher" or "slaughterer" is firmly established.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meitzner
Among Census respondents with the surname Meitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Meitzner 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 Meitzner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meitzner
Meitzner 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+24 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,237 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-31 bearers (-23.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 25,395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 13,237 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -31 bearers (-23.8%) | Down 25,395 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 Meitzner 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 | #130,610 | #156,005 | -19.4% |
| Count | 130 | 99 | -23.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meitzner bearers went from 130 to 99 (-23.8% change). The surname moved down 25,395 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #156,005.
FAQ
Meitzner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meitzner?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Meitzner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Meitzner?
Meitzner ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Meitzner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Meitzner.
Has Meitzner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meitzner went from 130 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 31 (-23.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Meitzner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meitzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Meitzner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meitzner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (4.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Meitzner (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 Meitzner mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "miller" or occupational name for someone who operated a mill. 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 Meitzner (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Meitzner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.