2000
#72,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Mepham
A habitational surname derived from the Old English word "meopham" meaning "homestead at the tree stump."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 300 Americans carry the last name Mepham. That puts it at #78,629 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,142,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mepham 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 Mepham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
300
1 in 1,142,514
Census rank
#78,629
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
262
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 262 bearers of the surname Mepham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78629th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mepham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mepham
The surname Mepham is of English origin, deriving from the Old English personal name 'Mappa' combined with the Old English word 'ham' meaning homestead or village. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
Mepham is thought to have its roots in the county of Kent, where several villages and hamlets bear names derived from similar Old English words, such as Mepham and Meopham. These place names likely refer to the homesteads or settlements of individuals named Mappa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mepham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Kent from the year 1199, where a certain William de Mepham is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Kent by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Simon de Mepham (c.1235-1333) held the position of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1328 until his death. He was a significant figure in the English Church during a turbulent period of conflict between the monarchy and the clergy.
Another historical figure with the surname Mepham was Thomas Mepham (c.1410-1481), a 15th-century English priest and theologian who served as the Chancellor of Oxford University from 1460 to 1461.
During the 16th century, the surname Mepham appears in records from the county of Sussex, where a family of that name held lands and properties. One notable member was John Mepham (c.1520-1585), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named William Mepham (1612-1688) was a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London, serving as the Sheriff of London in 1667.
Another historical figure with the Mepham surname was Richard Mepham (1737-1821), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of Admiral.
While the surname Mepham is not among the most common in England, it has a rich historical lineage dating back to the medieval period and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mepham
Among Census respondents with the surname Mepham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mepham 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 Mepham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 235
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 8
- Black or African American2.3% · 6
- Two or more races1.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mepham
Mepham 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
#73,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 263
+15 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 761 places
2020
#78,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
-1 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 4,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,905 | 248 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,666 | 263 | 0.09 | +15 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 761 places |
| 2020 | #78,629 | 262 | 0.09 | -1 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 4,963 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 Mepham 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 | #73,666 | #78,629 | -6.7% |
| Count | 263 | 262 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mepham bearers went from 263 to 262 (-0.4% change). The surname moved down 4,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,666 to #78,629.
FAQ
Mepham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mepham?
Name Census estimates that about 300 living Americans carry the surname Mepham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,142,514 residents.
How common is Mepham?
Mepham ranks #78,629 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 262 people with the surname Mepham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Mepham.
Has Mepham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mepham went from 263 recorded bearers to 262. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #73,666 to #78,629.
What does the Census say about the background of Mepham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mepham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Mepham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mepham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Mepham (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 Mepham mean?
A habitational surname derived from the Old English word "meopham" meaning "homestead at the tree stump." 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 Mepham (0.09 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 surname Mepham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.