2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mengers
A surname probably derived from a Dutch placename.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mengers. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mengers 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mengers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mengers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mengers
The surname Mengers is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the early 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "menger," which means "merchant" or "trader." It was likely originally used as an occupational name for someone involved in commercial activities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mengers can be found in various German chronicles and records from the Middle Ages. One notable example is the mention of a Hans Mengers in the Stadtbuch (city book) of Mühlhausen, dated around 1350. This document records various legal transactions and dealings within the city, suggesting that Hans Mengers was a prominent merchant or businessman at the time.
In the 15th century, the name Mengers appears in several historical documents from the city of Cologne. A certain Gerhard Mengers is mentioned in the city's tax records from 1472, indicating that he was a wealthy and influential citizen. Additionally, the Mengers family is referenced in the Cologne Chronicle (Kölner Chronik) from the same period, which provides insights into the city's history and notable families.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Mengers was Johannes Mengers, a German scholar and humanist who lived from 1485 to 1558. He was a professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Wittenberg and was known for his translations of classical works. His contribution to the spread of Renaissance humanism in Germany was significant.
Another notable figure with the surname Mengers was Johann Mengers, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1590 to 1668. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 18th century, the Mengers family had a presence in the city of Hamburg, where several members were involved in the city's thriving maritime trade. One of the most prominent figures from this period was Johann Michael Mengers (1718-1789), a successful merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
During the 19th century, the Mengers surname was found in various parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Mengers (1811-1888), a German economist and philosopher who was influential in the development of the Austrian School of Economics.
Throughout its history, the surname Mengers has been associated with merchants, scholars, and professionals from various fields. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has maintained its presence and significance across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mengers
Among Census respondents with the surname Mengers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mengers 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 Mengers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mengers
Mengers 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,954 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 13,954 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,130 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 Mengers 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 | #141,140 | #144,270 | -2.2% |
| Count | 118 | 117 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mengers bearers went from 118 to 117 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mengers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mengers?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mengers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mengers?
Mengers ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mengers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mengers.
Has Mengers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mengers went from 118 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mengers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mengers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mengers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mengers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mengers (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 Mengers mean?
A surname probably derived from a Dutch placename. 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 Mengers (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 common is the surname Mengers?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mengers is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.