2000
#7,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Meng
A Chinese surname meaning "dream" or "to dream," which originated from a noble family in ancient China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,474 Americans carry the last name Meng. That puts it at #4,651 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,448 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meng 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Meng with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.5K
1 in 40,448
Census rank
#4,651
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,390 bearers of the surname Meng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4651st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.9%. The next largest groups are White (23.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meng
Among Census respondents with the surname Meng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.9%. The next largest groups are White (23.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Meng 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 Meng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander71.9% · 5,310
- White23.8% · 1,761
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 166
- Two or more races1.4% · 107
- Black or African American0.3% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meng
Meng 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
#6,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,729
+1,892 bearers (+49.3%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Up 1,986 places
2020
#4,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,390
+1,661 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Up 1,350 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,987 | 3,837 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,001 | 5,729 | 1.94 | +1,892 bearers (+49.3%) | Up 1,986 places |
| 2020 | #4,651 | 7,390 | 2.47 | +1,661 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 1,350 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 Meng 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 | #6,001 | #4,651 | 22.5% |
| Count | 5,729 | 7,390 | 29.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 2.47 | 27.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meng bearers went from 5,729 to 7,390 (+29.0% change). The surname moved up 1,350 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,001 to #4,651.
FAQ
Meng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meng?
Name Census estimates that about 8,474 living Americans carry the surname Meng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,448 residents.
How common is Meng?
Meng ranks #4,651 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,390 people with the surname Meng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,474), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Meng.
Has Meng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meng went from 5,729 recorded bearers to 7,390. That is an increase of 1,661 (+29.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,001 to #4,651.
What does the Census say about the background of Meng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.9%. The next largest groups are White (23.8%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Meng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (5,310 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (71.9%), White (23.8%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Meng (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 Meng mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "dream" or "to dream," which originated from a noble family in ancient China. 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 Meng (2.47 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 common is the surname Meng?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Meng at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.