Menzies
Anglicized form of Gaelic Méigeach, possibly meaning "crafty" or "tricky," or referring to a geographic location associated with the name.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,399 Americans carry the last name Menzies. That puts it at #14,468 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,874 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menzies surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.4K
1 in 142,874
Census rank
#14,468
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,064 bearers of the surname Menzies in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14468th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzies, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menzies
The surname Menzies originates from the Scottish Lowlands, specifically in the area of Clydesdale, near Glasgow. It dates back to the 12th century and is derived from the old Gaelic word "meanach," meaning a person who lived in a fertile or cultivated region.
The name first appeared in written records in the early 13th century, with mentions of the Menzies family holding lands in Perthshire. The earliest recorded spelling was "Meynges" in 1249, referring to Robert de Meynges, a landowner in the parish of Weem.
The Menzies family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several notable members. Sir Robert Menzies (c. 1350 - c. 1420) was a prominent figure during the reign of Robert III and was appointed the Keeper of Lochmaben Castle. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Menzies (c. 1530 - 1597), who served as the Provost of Aberdeen and played a crucial role in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 16th century, the Menzies clan was involved in several feuds with neighboring clans, particularly the Clan Campbell. This led to the famous Battle of Glenfruin in 1603, where the Menzies and their allies were defeated by the Campbells.
The name Menzies is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Menzies Castle in Perthshire, which was the ancestral seat of the Clan Menzies, and the village of Menzies in the same region.
Other notable individuals with the surname Menzies include Sir Robert Menzies (1894 - 1978), who served as the Prime Minister of Australia from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1949 to 1966. William Menzies (1795 - 1850) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and explorer, known for his expedition through the Blue Mountains in 1815.
The Menzies surname has also been found in various spellings over the centuries, including Mengies, Mengzes, and Myngis, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menzies
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzies, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Menzies bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Menzies surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4%
- Black or African American16.1%
- Hispanic or Latino4.8%
- Two or more races2.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Menzies surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,609 | #14,468 | -6.3% |
| Count | 2,046 | 2,064 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -7.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Menzies bearers went from 2,046 to 2,064 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 859 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,609 to #14,468.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Menzies
FAQ
Menzies surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Menzies?
The surname Menzies holds position #14,468 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,399 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Menzies surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzies, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.