2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Meshke
A variant of the German surname Meske, derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Meshke. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meshke 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Meshke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meshke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meshke
The surname Meshke is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "mesch," which means a mixture or blend, possibly referring to an occupation or trade involving the blending of materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meshke can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Lübeck, located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In these records, dating back to the late 1500s, the name appears as "Meschke" and is associated with a family residing in the area.
During the 17th century, variations of the name, such as "Meschke" and "Meschken," were documented in various historical records across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Lower Saxony. These records often listed individuals with this surname engaged in various professions, including artisans, merchants, and farmers.
In the 19th century, the name Meshke gained more prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Meshke (1828-1888), a German mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of geometry. He was born in the town of Parchim, located in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and later became a professor at the University of Greifswald.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Meshke was Johann Meshke (1854-1931), a German politician and member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) from 1890 to 1918. He represented the Social Democratic Party of Germany and was actively involved in promoting workers' rights and social reforms.
In the 20th century, the name Meshke continued to be associated with various individuals, including Robert Meshke (1902-1978), a German-American sculptor and artist known for his abstract and modernist works. He was born in the city of Berlin but later immigrated to the United States, where he established his artistic career.
Other historical figures with the surname Meshke include Hans Meshke (1912-1986), a German author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories depicting life in rural areas of northern Germany, and Gerhard Meshke (1925-2011), a German architect and urban planner who contributed to the reconstruction and development of several cities in post-World War II Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meshke
Among Census respondents with the surname Meshke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Meshke 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 Meshke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 90
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meshke
Meshke 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+16 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,287 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-16 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,533 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 7,287 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -16 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 12,533 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 Meshke 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 | #143,149 | #155,682 | -8.8% |
| Count | 116 | 100 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meshke bearers went from 116 to 100 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 12,533 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,682.
FAQ
Meshke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meshke?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Meshke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Meshke?
Meshke ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Meshke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Meshke.
Has Meshke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meshke went from 116 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Meshke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meshke, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Meshke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meshke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Meshke (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 Meshke mean?
A variant of the German surname Meske, derived from a place name. 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 Meshke (0.03 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 are called Meshke?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Meshke is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.