2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Menacher
A German surname derived from a variation of the given name "Meinhard", meaning "brave counsellor".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Menacher. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menacher 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Menacher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menacher
The surname Menacher is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Menacher," which means "a person from the town of Menach." The town of Menach was located in the Rhineland region of Germany, which is known for its rich history and cultural heritage.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Menacher can be found in the church records of the town of Menach, where a family by the name of Menacher was listed as residents in the year 1587. This suggests that the name has been in existence for at least four centuries.
In the 17th century, the Menacher family began to spread out from the town of Menach, and the name started appearing in other parts of Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Menacher, a prominent merchant who was born in Cologne in 1632 and died in 1701. He was known for his successful trading business and his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
By the 18th century, the Menacher surname had become more widespread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. In 1762, a man named Friedrich Menacher was recorded as a watchmaker in the town of Nuremberg, which was famous for its skilled craftsmen and artisans.
As the Menacher family continued to grow and disperse, the name also found its way to other parts of the world. In the late 19th century, a man named Hans Menacher emigrated from Germany to the United States, where he settled in the state of Pennsylvania. He worked as a farmer and had several children, who helped to establish the Menacher name in America.
Another notable individual with the surname Menacher was Karl Menacher, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1858 to 1932. He was known for his writings on ethics and social issues, and his works were widely read and discussed during his lifetime.
Throughout its history, the surname Menacher has been associated with a diverse range of professions and accomplishments, from merchants and craftsmen to philosophers and writers. While its origins can be traced back to a small town in Germany, the name has since spread to many parts of the world, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a legacy of perseverance and achievement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menacher
Among Census respondents with the surname Menacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Menacher 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 Menacher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menacher
Menacher 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-18 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,505 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 23,505 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Menacher 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menacher bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Menacher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menacher?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Menacher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Menacher?
Menacher ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Menacher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Menacher.
Has Menacher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menacher went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Menacher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Menacher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menacher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (3.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Menacher (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 Menacher mean?
A German surname derived from a variation of the given name "Meinhard", meaning "brave counsellor". 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 Menacher (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 last name Menacher?
See how common the surname Menacher is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.