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

Menser, 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 Menser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Menser in America

Menser is the 24222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Menser surname appeared 1,036 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 Menser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Menser 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 Menser

The surname Menser has its origins in the German language and is believed to have emerged in the late Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the German word "mensch," which means "man" or "human being." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for an individual, perhaps referring to their humanity or personality traits.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Menser surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a certain Johannes Menser is mentioned as a respected merchant and guild member in the year 1472.

The Menser name also appears in various religious documents and parish registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is possible that the name was associated with particular trades or professions during this period, although definitive evidence is scarce.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Menser surname was Johann Georg Menser (1720-1789), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious and moral topics. His works were widely circulated and gained him recognition within academic circles of the time.

Another individual of note was Karl Menser (1868-1936), a German-American artist and illustrator who specialized in portraiture and landscape paintings. He immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and gained recognition for his depictions of rural American life.

The Menser surname can also be traced to areas of present-day Austria and Switzerland, where variations such as "Menscher" and "Mensinger" were sometimes used. This suggests that the name may have spread across different regions and undergone slight alterations over time.

One of the earliest known instances of the Menser name in the English-speaking world can be found in the records of the port of Philadelphia, where a Johann Menser is listed as an immigrant from Germany in the year 1736.

Throughout history, the Menser surname has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from merchants and religious scholars to artists and immigrants seeking new opportunities. While not a particularly widespread name, it has left its mark in various corners of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Menser

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

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

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

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