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

Mengistu, 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 Mengistu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mengistu in America

Mengistu is the 33772nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mengistu surname appeared 674 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mengistu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mengistu 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 Mengistu

The surname Mengistu originated in Ethiopia, one of the few ancient Christian kingdoms in Africa. The name is derived from the Amharic language, which has been the official language of Ethiopia for centuries. Mengistu is believed to have its roots in the Ge'ez language, an ancient Semitic language that was once the lingua franca of the region.

The name Mengistu can be traced back to the medieval period in Ethiopia, with some references suggesting it may have been used as a title or honorific for individuals of high social standing or military prowess. The earliest known record of the name Mengistu appears in the Kebrä Nagast, a 14th-century literary work that chronicles the lineage of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia.

One of the earliest prominent figures bearing the name Mengistu was Mengistu Lemlemu, a 16th-century Ethiopian nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the war against the Ottoman Empire's invasion of Ethiopia. Another notable figure was Mengistu Neway, a 19th-century Ethiopian ruler who governed the Shewa region during a tumultuous period of political instability.

In more recent history, the name Mengistu gained global recognition with Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937-2012), a former military officer and Marxist-Leninist leader who ruled Ethiopia as the head of state from 1977 to 1991. His regime, known as the Derg, was responsible for widespread human rights abuses and the brutal suppression of opposition.

Other notable individuals with the surname Mengistu include Mengistu Lemma (1928-1988), an Ethiopian writer and political activist who spent much of his life in exile, and Mengistu Ayalew (born 1959), an Ethiopian long-distance runner who won numerous international competitions in the 1980s and 1990s.

While the surname Mengistu has its roots in the ancient history of Ethiopia, it continues to be carried by individuals of Ethiopian descent around the world, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this African nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mengistu

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

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 Mengistu 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 Mengistu 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 Mengistu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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