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

Mesfin, 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 Mesfin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mesfin in America

Mesfin is the 31689th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mesfin surname appeared 729 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 Mesfin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mesfin 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 Mesfin

The surname MESFIN has its roots in the East African country of Ethiopia. It is a surname that dates back several centuries, originating from the Semitic language of Ge'ez, which was the primary language of the ancient Aksumite Kingdom.

The name MESFIN is derived from the Ge'ez word "masfen," which means "dawn" or "sunrise." It is believed that this surname was initially given to individuals who were born or lived in areas where the sunrise was particularly beautiful or significant.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname MESFIN can be found in the annals of the Solomonic Dynasty, which ruled over Ethiopia from the late 13th century to the mid-20th century. These annals mention several individuals with the surname MESFIN who held influential positions within the royal court or served as advisors to the emperors.

In the 16th century, a renowned scholar and philosopher named Zera Yacob Mesfin (1599-1692) gained prominence for his works on theology and philosophy. He is often regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in Ethiopian history and played a significant role in shaping the country's intellectual discourse during that time.

Another notable figure with the surname MESFIN was Abba Bahrey Mesfin (1590-1658), a renowned Ethiopian monk and historian who authored the famous work "The History of the Galla." This work provided invaluable insights into the culture and traditions of the Oromo people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia.

During the 19th century, the MESFIN surname was also associated with several prominent military leaders and commanders. One such figure was Dejazmach Mesfin Engeda (1830-1880), a skilled warrior who played a crucial role in defending the Ethiopian Empire against foreign invasions and territorial encroachments.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the MESFIN surname gained further recognition with the birth of Tayitu Mesfin (1851-1918), who became the Empress of Ethiopia after marrying Emperor Menelik II. Empress Tayitu was known for her influential role in shaping the political and cultural landscape of the empire during her husband's reign.

Throughout history, the surname MESFIN has been associated with various regions and place names within Ethiopia. Some of these include the town of Mesfin Mekonen, located in the Amhara region, and the Mesfin River, which flows through the Tigray region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mesfin

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

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

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

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