2000
#16,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,624
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Menon
A surname of Malayalam origin indicating a high-caste Hindu family from the Indian state of Kerala.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,005 Americans carry the last name Menon. That puts it at #7,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,482 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menon 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 Menon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,482
Census rank
#7,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,365 bearers of the surname Menon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menon
The surname "MENON" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the southern state of Kerala. It is derived from the Tamil word "Menon" or "Menne," which means "prestigious" or "respected." The name is associated with the Nair community, a prominent Hindu caste traditionally known for their military prowess and land ownership.
In ancient times, members of the Nair community held important positions in the ruling dynasties of Kerala, such as the Chera, Chola, and Pandya kingdoms. The earliest known use of the surname "MENON" can be traced back to the 9th century AD, during the reign of the Kulasekhara dynasty in the region of Venadu (present-day Travancore).
One of the earliest recorded references to the name "MENON" is found in the Vatteluttu inscriptions, a form of ancient Malayalam script used in Kerala. These inscriptions mention individuals with the name "MENON" serving as chieftains, military commanders, and administrators under various royal houses.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname "MENON" include:
1. Govinda Menon (14th century), a prominent military leader and feudal chief who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Kingdom of Travancore.
2. Velu Thampi Dalava Menon (1765-1809), a celebrated Nair military commander who led the forces of Travancore against the British East India Company.
3. Govinda Pillai Menon (18th century), a renowned scholar and author of the famous work "Keralolpathi," which chronicles the history of Kerala.
4. Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Menon (1879-1966), a distinguished Indian civil servant, politician, and diplomat who served as the Dewan (Prime Minister) of Travancore from 1936 to 1947.
5. V.K. Krishna Menon (1896-1974), an influential Indian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as the Defence Minister of India from 1957 to 1962.
The surname "MENON" is also closely associated with certain place names in Kerala, such as Mannath, Mannoor, and Mannar, which are believed to have been derived from the name itself or vice versa. Additionally, variations in spelling like "Menon," "Mennon," and "Menen" are found in historical records from different regions of Kerala.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menon
Among Census respondents with the surname Menon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Menon 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 Menon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.4% · 3,901
- White4.7% · 204
- Two or more races4.3% · 186
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 38
- Black or African American0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menon
Menon 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
#10,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,938
+1,314 bearers (+80.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 5,496 places
2020
#7,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,365
+1,427 bearers (+48.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Up 3,472 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,333 | 1,624 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,837 | 2,938 | 1.00 | +1,314 bearers (+80.9%) | Up 5,496 places |
| 2020 | #7,365 | 4,365 | 1.46 | +1,427 bearers (+48.6%) | Up 3,472 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 Menon 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 | #10,837 | #7,365 | 32.0% |
| Count | 2,938 | 4,365 | 48.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 1.46 | 46.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menon bearers went from 2,938 to 4,365 (+48.6% change). The surname moved up 3,472 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,837 to #7,365.
FAQ
Menon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,005 living Americans carry the surname Menon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,482 residents.
How common is Menon?
Menon ranks #7,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,365 people with the surname Menon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,005), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Menon.
Has Menon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menon went from 2,938 recorded bearers to 4,365. That is an increase of 1,427 (+48.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,837 to #7,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Menon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Menon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (3,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.4%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Menon (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 Menon mean?
A surname of Malayalam origin indicating a high-caste Hindu family from the Indian state of Kerala. 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 Menon (1.46 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 Menon?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Menon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.