Mesher last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mesher

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "mesher" referring to one who worked with meshes or nets.

Mesher, 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 Mesher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mesher in America

Mesher is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mesher surname appeared 106 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 Mesher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mesher 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 153769 122534 22.61%
Count 106 130 -20.34%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.05 -22.22%

The history of the last name Mesher

The surname Mesher is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "maesere," which referred to a maker of mesh or wire netting. This occupation was crucial in the production of various tools and equipment used in agriculture and fishing.

The earliest known record of the Mesher surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This ancient document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, listed individuals by their surnames for taxation purposes.

In the 14th century, the surname Mesher was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, suggesting that families bearing this name were present in different regions of England. Some variations in spelling, such as "Mesher," "Messher," and "Meshure," were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Mesher surname was John Mesher, born around 1450 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from the late 15th century.

Another notable figure was William Mesher, who lived in the 16th century. He was a skilled craftsman and is credited with contributing to the construction of several churches in Oxfordshire, including the renowned St. Mary's Church in Witney.

In the 17th century, the Mesher surname gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Mesher (1620-1696), a successful merchant and landowner from Warwickshire. His descendants played an active role in the local community and held positions of influence in the region.

A significant historical figure bearing the Mesher surname was Sir Robert Mesher (1745-1821), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded numerous honors for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

Another notable individual was Elizabeth Mesher (1786-1867), a renowned author and poet from Yorkshire. Her collection of poems, titled "Verses from the Yorkshire Dales," gained widespread acclaim and provided valuable insights into the lives and culture of the region during the 19th century.

The Mesher surname has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, craftsmen, merchants, military officers, and authors. While its origins can be traced back to the occupation of mesh or wire netting makers in medieval England, the name has since spread and been adopted by families across different regions and social strata.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mesher

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

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 Mesher was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.68% 94
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 6.60% 7
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Mesher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.68% 96.92% -8.88%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 6.60% 0.00% 200.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Mesher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 29, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mesher-surname-popularity/.

"Mesher last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mesher-surname-popularity/. Accessed 29 September, 2025

Mesher last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mesher-surname-popularity/.

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