2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meltabarger
A German surname derived from the archaic word "Meltbar" referring to someone who threshed or ground grain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Meltabarger. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meltabarger 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Meltabarger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltabarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meltabarger
The surname MELTABARGER has its origins in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the German words "melte" meaning "barley" and "berger" meaning "hill dweller" or "mountain inhabitant." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to individuals who lived on or near hills where barley was cultivated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a historic town in Bavaria, Germany. In 1573, a man named Hans Meltabarger is listed as a resident and landowner in the town's archives. This is one of the earliest known written records of the surname.
Another notable historical reference is the appearance of the name in the Monastic Records of Eberbach Abbey, located in the Rheingau region of Germany. These records, which date back to the late 16th century, mention a Brother Meltabarger who was a monk at the abbey during that time period.
As the name spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge. Some of the earliest recorded variations include Meltaberger, Meltabärger, and Meltabürger, among others.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname MELTABARGER was Johann Meltabarger, born in 1632 in the town of Heidelberg, Germany. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with this name was Friedrich Meltabarger (1718-1798), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the town of Pforzheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. His intricate clocks and timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy throughout Europe.
Another significant figure was Karl Meltabarger (1789-1856), a German philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Heidelberg. His writings and teachings on ethics and moral philosophy were influential during his time.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the MELTABARGER surname was Elise Meltabarger (1832-1901), a German opera singer and performer who gained fame throughout Europe for her powerful soprano voice and stage presence.
Lastly, a notable figure from the early 20th century was Otto Meltabarger (1876-1943), a German architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the design and reconstruction efforts in several German cities after World War I.
These examples demonstrate the rich history and varied backgrounds of individuals who have carried the MELTABARGER surname throughout the centuries, originating from its German roots and spreading across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meltabarger
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltabarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Meltabarger 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 Meltabarger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meltabarger
Meltabarger 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 5,443 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 Meltabarger 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 | #158,432 | #152,989 | 3.4% |
| Count | 102 | 105 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meltabarger bearers went from 102 to 105 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 5,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,989.
FAQ
Meltabarger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meltabarger?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Meltabarger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Meltabarger?
Meltabarger ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Meltabarger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Meltabarger.
Has Meltabarger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meltabarger went from 102 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Meltabarger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltabarger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Meltabarger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meltabarger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (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 Meltabarger (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 Meltabarger mean?
A German surname derived from the archaic word "Meltbar" referring to someone who threshed or ground grain. 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 Meltabarger (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 have the surname Meltabarger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.