2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mesen
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a person from Mesen, a municipality in West Flanders, Belgium.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Mesen. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mesen 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Mesen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesen, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mesen
The surname MESEN is of German origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "mese," meaning "meadow" or "pasture." The earliest records of this surname are found in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
The name MESEN is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive name, referring to individuals who lived or worked near meadows or pastures. It was common practice during that time for people to adopt surnames based on their occupation, location, or a distinguishing physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname MESEN can be found in the Codex Diplomatus, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Bavaria, dated around 1275. This document references a landowner named Konrad Mesen, who held property near the town of Augsburg.
In the 14th century, the name MESEN appeared in various municipal records and tax rolls across southern Germany. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Hans Mesen (1325-1387), a wealthy merchant from Nuremberg, and Margarethe Mesen (1348-1412), a landowner and benefactor from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MESEN surname spread to other parts of Europe as a result of migration and trade. One notable figure from this era was Johann Mesen (1558-1623), a German theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg.
In the 18th century, the name MESEN was found in various church records and legal documents across Germany and neighboring countries. One example is Wilhelm Mesen (1712-1786), a respected physician from the city of Frankfurt.
As the centuries passed, the surname MESEN continued to be well-represented in various fields, including academia, arts, and politics. Some notable individuals include:
1. Friedrich Mesen (1821-1897), a German painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life.
2. Helene Mesen (1856-1932), a German women's rights activist and writer.
3. Karl Mesen (1878-1954), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic.
4. Hans Mesen (1901-1987), a German architect and urban planner responsible for the reconstruction of several cities after World War II.
5. Ingrid Mesen (1938-2022), a German actress and television personality, known for her role in the popular series "Derrick."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mesen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesen, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mesen 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 Mesen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.4% · 92
- White15.9% · 18
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mesen
Mesen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,231 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 Mesen 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 | #150,452 | #147,221 | 2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 113 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mesen bearers went from 109 to 113 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,221.
FAQ
Mesen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mesen?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Mesen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Mesen?
Mesen ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Mesen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Mesen.
Has Mesen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mesen went from 109 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Mesen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesen, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.9%) and Black (1.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mesen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mesen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.4%), White (15.9%), Black (1.8%). 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 Mesen (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 Mesen mean?
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a person from Mesen, a municipality in West Flanders, Belgium. 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 Mesen (0.04 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 Mesen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.