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

Mention, 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 Mention surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mention in America

Mention is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mention surname appeared 334 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 Mention.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mention 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 Mention

The surname Mention originated in France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "menciun," which means "mention" or "reference." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who worked as a scribe, writer, or in a profession that involved making frequent references or mentions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mention surname can be found in the medieval records of the Duchy of Normandy, where a certain Robert Mention was listed as a landowner in 1195. Another early record comes from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in England, where a William Mention is mentioned in 1230.

During the Middle Ages, the Mention family appeared to have established a presence in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region around Paris. This is evidenced by the appearance of the name in various charters, tax rolls, and other medieval documents from these areas.

One notable figure bearing the Mention surname was Jean Mention, a French soldier and military engineer who lived in the 16th century. He played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion and was responsible for fortifying several cities, including Montpellier and La Rochelle.

In the 17th century, the Mention name gained prominence in the field of education and academia. Pierre Mention (1599-1672) was a renowned French scholar and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Paris. His works on logic, metaphysics, and moral philosophy were highly influential during his time.

Another prominent individual with the Mention surname was Jacques Mention (1723-1807), a French architect who was known for his work on several notable buildings in Paris, including the Hôtel de Salm and the Hôtel de Charost.

In the 19th century, the Mention family produced several notable figures in the arts and literature. Auguste Mention (1807-1867) was a French painter and engraver who specialized in landscape and genre scenes. His works were widely exhibited at the Paris Salon and are now housed in various museums across France.

Jean-Baptiste Mention (1855-1927) was a French novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his works depicting the lives of rural communities in his native Normandy region. His novel "La Terre" (The Land) was particularly acclaimed and is considered a classic of French literature.

While the Mention surname originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other French-speaking regions, as a result of migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mention

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

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

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

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