Find out how popular the last name Meng is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Meng.

Meng, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Meng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meng in America

Meng is the 6001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meng surname appeared 5,729 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Meng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meng to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Meng

The surname Meng originated in Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Menag," which means "crowd" or "multitude." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a densely populated area or came from a large family.

One of the earliest records of the Meng name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval manuscripts from the 11th century. The name appears in this document as "Menge," which was likely an earlier spelling variation.

During the 13th century, the Meng surname started appearing in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Some notable individuals from this time period include Heinrich Meng, a merchant from Nuremberg who was mentioned in a trade document in 1287, and Konrad Meng, a Knight from Augsburg who fought in the Crusades in the late 1200s.

In the 15th century, the Meng name was also found in some historical records from Switzerland, indicating that the name had spread to neighboring regions. One notable individual from this era was Hans Meng, a Swiss clockmaker who lived in Basel from 1442 to 1512.

As the name continued to spread across Europe, it also began to appear in different spellings and variations. For example, in the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled as "Mengh," while in parts of France, it was written as "Mengue."

One of the most famous people to bear the Meng surname was Johann Meng, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1628 to 1692. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was one of the first to accurately calculate the orbit of comets.

Another notable individual was Friedrich Meng, a German composer and musician who lived from 1763 to 1825. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the clarinet and his compositions for woodwind instruments.

In the 19th century, the Meng surname started to appear in various parts of the United States, likely due to German immigration. One prominent American with this name was William Meng, a businessman and philanthropist from New York who lived from 1842 to 1920.

Overall, the surname Meng has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, with records of its use spanning across multiple countries and centuries. While its exact origins are not entirely clear, the name has been carried by numerous notable individuals throughout history, from merchants and knights to scientists and composers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meng

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Meng.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Meng was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Meng has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Meng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Meng, please contact us.

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