2000
#3,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,988
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Mendenhall
A locational surname referring to someone from Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, likely derived from the Old English words "mylen" and "halh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,559 Americans carry the last name Mendenhall. That puts it at #3,460 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,653 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mendenhall 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
12K
1 in 29,653
Census rank
#3,460
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,080 bearers of the surname Mendenhall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3460th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendenhall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mendenhall
The surname Mendenhall has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "menden" meaning a valley or enclosure, and "halh" meaning a nook or corner. This combination suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a location situated in a secluded valley or corner.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Mendenhall can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1275, where the name is spelled as "Mendenhale." This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence and its connection to the English county of Worcestershire.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Mendenhall," "Mendenhale," and "Mendenhall," reflecting the evolving nature of surnames and the lack of standardized spelling during that time period. The name's association with specific locations is further reinforced by references to places like Mendenhall in Bedfordshire and Mendenhall in Suffolk, both of which may have contributed to the surname's development.
One notable individual bearing the surname Mendenhall was Thomas Mendenhall, an English Quaker born in 1616 in Mildenhall, Suffolk. He was among the early settlers in Pennsylvania, arriving in 1686 and establishing a homestead in present-day Delaware County. This migration played a significant role in the spread of the Mendenhall name across the American colonies.
Another prominent figure with this surname was John Mendenhall, born in 1688 in Wiltshire, England. He immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1710 and became a successful merchant and landowner in the region. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, contributing to the further dissemination of the Mendenhall name.
During the American Revolutionary War, Benjamin Mendenhall, born in 1718 in Pennsylvania, served as a member of the Committee of Safety for Chester County and played an active role in supporting the patriot cause. His involvement in this pivotal historical event highlights the Mendenhall family's deep roots in the early days of the United States.
In the realm of academia, Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, born in 1841 in Ohio, made significant contributions as a physicist and meteorologist. He served as the first president of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and later became the president of the Rose Polytechnic Institute, now known as Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Finally, Walter Curran Mendenhall, born in 1871 in Ohio, was a distinguished geologist and educator. He served as the director of the United States Geological Survey from 1924 to 1928 and played a crucial role in advancing the field of geology during his time.
These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread presence of the Mendenhall surname across various fields and regions, with its origins tracing back to the valleys and nooks of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mendenhall
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendenhall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mendenhall 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 Mendenhall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 8,588
- Black or African American5.9% · 598
- Two or more races3.7% · 368
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 363
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 80
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mendenhall
Mendenhall 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
#3,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,213
+225 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.46
Rank movement Down 208 places
2020
#3,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,080
-133 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 3.37
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,291 | 9,988 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,499 | 10,213 | 3.46 | +225 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 208 places |
| 2020 | #3,460 | 10,080 | 3.37 | -133 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 39 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 Mendenhall 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 | #3,499 | #3,460 | 1.1% |
| Count | 10,213 | 10,080 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.46 | 3.37 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mendenhall bearers went from 10,213 to 10,080 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,499 to #3,460.
FAQ
Mendenhall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mendenhall?
Name Census estimates that about 11,559 living Americans carry the surname Mendenhall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,653 residents.
How common is Mendenhall?
Mendenhall ranks #3,460 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,080 people with the surname Mendenhall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mendenhall.
Has Mendenhall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mendenhall went from 10,213 recorded bearers to 10,080. That is a decrease of 133 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,499 to #3,460.
What does the Census say about the background of Mendenhall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mendenhall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mendenhall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (8,588 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mendenhall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mendenhall (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 Mendenhall mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, likely derived from the Old English words "mylen" and "halh." 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 Mendenhall (3.37 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 Mendenhall?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.