2000
#25,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 894
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Very Rare Last name
Menter
A surname derived from the Old French word "mentir," meaning "to lie" or "to deceive."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 961 Americans carry the last name Menter. That puts it at #29,943 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 356,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menter 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
961
1 in 356,664
Census rank
#29,943
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
838
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 838 bearers of the surname Menter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29943rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menter, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menter
The surname Menter is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mentar," which means "advisor" or "counselor." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who held positions as advisors or counselors to those in authority.
Early records show the name appearing in various forms, such as Mentour, Mentor, and Mentere, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time period. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert Mentour.
In the 14th century, the surname Menter began to appear more frequently in various records, indicating its growing prevalence across England. One notable example is John Menter, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the Parliament Rolls of 1351.
The name also has ties to certain place names, such as Menter Farm in Gloucestershire, which likely contributed to the adoption of the surname by individuals residing in or near those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Menter. One such figure was William Menter (1555-1625), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, from 1615 until his death.
Another prominent figure was Sir John Menter (1590-1670), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the English Civil War. He was known for his support of the Royalist cause.
In the artistic realm, John Menter (1758-1823) was a notable English painter and engraver, renowned for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various collections, including the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Moving into the 19th century, Charles Menter (1809-1876) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Grosvenor Hotel and the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico.
Lastly, Sophia Menter (1846-1918) was a German pianist and composer who taught at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and was a close friend of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. She was known for her interpretations of Tchaikovsky's works and her contributions to the promotion of Russian music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menter
Among Census respondents with the surname Menter, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Menter 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 Menter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 676
- Black or African American12.6% · 106
- Two or more races3.2% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menter
Menter 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
#29,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 789
-105 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 3,948 places
2020
#29,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 838
+49 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,845 | 894 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,793 | 789 | 0.27 | -105 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 3,948 places |
| 2020 | #29,943 | 838 | 0.28 | +49 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 150 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 Menter 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 | #29,793 | #29,943 | -0.5% |
| Count | 789 | 838 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.28 | 3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menter bearers went from 789 to 838 (+6.2% change). The surname moved down 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,793 to #29,943.
FAQ
Menter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menter?
Name Census estimates that about 961 living Americans carry the surname Menter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 356,664 residents.
How common is Menter?
Menter ranks #29,943 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 838 people with the surname Menter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (961), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Menter.
Has Menter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menter went from 789 recorded bearers to 838. That is an increase of 49 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,793 to #29,943.
What does the Census say about the background of Menter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menter, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Menter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (676 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Black (12.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Menter (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 Menter mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "mentir," meaning "to lie" or "to deceive." 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 Menter (0.28 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 many people have the last name Menter?
Want to know how many people are called Menter? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.