2000
#8,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Meltzer
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a smelter or refiner of metals.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,370 Americans carry the last name Meltzer. That puts it at #10,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,708 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meltzer 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
3.4K
1 in 101,708
Census rank
#10,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,939 bearers of the surname Meltzer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meltzer
The surname Meltzer originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Prussia and Silesia. It can be traced back to the 14th century and is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "melzen," which means "to milk." This suggests that the name was likely initially an occupational surname given to those who worked as milkers or dairy farmers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meltzer appears in a document from 1398 in the town of Breslau, now known as Wrocław in Poland. The document mentions a "Hans Meltzer," who was a landowner and farmer in the area.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Prussian town of Königsberg, now called Kaliningrad, Russia. In 1472, a "Peter Meltzer" was listed as a member of the local guild of tanners.
In the 16th century, the Meltzer name began to appear in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony. This suggests that families with this surname may have migrated from their original areas in Silesia and Prussia to other parts of the country.
One notable individual with the Meltzer surname was Johann Meltzer (1681-1745), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Prussian King Frederick William I. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Meltzer (1854-1924), a German historian and professor who specialized in the study of ancient Greece and Rome. He taught at several universities, including the University of Berlin, and authored numerous books on classical history and culture.
In the 19th century, the Meltzer name also appeared in other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable Swiss Meltzer was the painter and engraver Johann Melchior Meltzer (1766-1847), who was known for his landscapes and vedute (cityscape paintings).
As for place names or older spellings, the town of Meltzer (now Mielcarz) in Lower Silesia, Poland, may have been named after the Meltzer family or vice versa. Additionally, the name has been recorded with variations such as Meltzer, Melzer, and Melczer in various historical documents.
Overall, the surname Meltzer has a rich history dating back to medieval Germany, with its origins likely stemming from an occupation in the dairy farming or milking industry. Over the centuries, individuals with this name have made their mark in various fields, including music, academia, and art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meltzer
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Meltzer 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 Meltzer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,728
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 89
- Two or more races2.1% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 37
- Black or African American0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meltzer
Meltzer 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
#10,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,216
-125 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 1,024 places
2020
#10,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,939
-277 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 410 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,997 | 3,341 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,021 | 3,216 | 1.09 | -125 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,024 places |
| 2020 | #10,431 | 2,939 | 0.98 | -277 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 410 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 Meltzer 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 | #10,021 | #10,431 | -4.1% |
| Count | 3,216 | 2,939 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 0.98 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meltzer bearers went from 3,216 to 2,939 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 410 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,021 to #10,431.
FAQ
Meltzer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meltzer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,370 living Americans carry the surname Meltzer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,708 residents.
How common is Meltzer?
Meltzer ranks #10,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,939 people with the surname Meltzer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Meltzer.
Has Meltzer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meltzer went from 3,216 recorded bearers to 2,939. That is a decrease of 277 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,021 to #10,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Meltzer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meltzer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Meltzer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,728 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meltzer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Meltzer (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 Meltzer mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a smelter or refiner of metals. 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 Meltzer (0.98 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 Meltzer?
Want to know how many people are called Meltzer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.