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

Meshack, 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 Meshack surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meshack in America

Meshack is the 98982nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meshack surname appeared 183 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 Meshack.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meshack 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 Meshack

The surname Meshack has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the ancient Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew name "Mishael," which means "who is what God is?" or "who is comparable to God?" This name is mentioned in the Book of Daniel in the Bible, where Mishael was one of the Hebrew youths taken captive to Babylon, along with Daniel and his companions.

The name Meshack is believed to have emerged as an anglicized variation of Mishael during the Middle Ages, when many Hebrew names were adapted and translated into various European languages. It is possible that the name was introduced to Europe during the Jewish diaspora or through interactions between Hebrew scholars and Christian theologians.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Meshack can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in that document is slightly different, appearing as "Meshac."

In the 13th century, a prominent scholar and philosopher named Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, had a father named Maimon ben Meshack. This historical figure provides evidence of the use of the surname Meshack among Jewish communities during the Middle Ages.

Another notable individual with the surname Meshack was John Meshack, an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hindon in Wiltshire in the late 16th century, from 1584 to 1586.

During the 17th century, a notable figure named John Meshack (1609-1696) was a prominent Puritan minister in Boston, Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the early history of the American colonies.

In the 18th century, a German-born American soldier named Peter Meshack (1737-1808) fought in the American Revolutionary War and was later granted land in Pennsylvania for his service.

In the 19th century, a British naval officer named William Meshack (1812-1891) served in the Royal Navy and was involved in various naval campaigns and explorations around the world.

These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname Meshack in different parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and beyond, with individuals from various backgrounds and professions bearing this distinctive name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meshack

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

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

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

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