2000
#12,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Messersmith
An occupational surname referring to a cutler or knife maker, derived from the German words "messer" (knife) and "schmied" (smith).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,432 Americans carry the last name Messersmith. That puts it at #13,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Messersmith 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
2.4K
1 in 140,935
Census rank
#13,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,121 bearers of the surname Messersmith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Messersmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Messersmith
The surname Messersmith is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German words "messer" (knife) and "smit" (smith), referring to a craftsman who made knives or other edged tools.
The name first appeared in historical records in the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where the metalworking trade was prevalent. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the town records of Nuremberg, which mention a Cunrad Messersmidd in 1386.
In the 15th century, the name spread to other parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring regions such as Switzerland and Austria. The town of Messersmith, located in the present-day German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is believed to have been named after a family of knifemakers who lived there.
Notable individuals with the surname Messersmith include Hans Messersmith (1492-1562), a renowned bladesmith from Augsburg, whose knives were prized throughout Europe. Johannes Messersmith (1617-1696), a German-born blacksmith, was among the early settlers in Pennsylvania, arriving in 1683.
In the 18th century, several members of the Messersmith family were involved in the American Revolutionary War. Jacob Messersmith (1744-1823) served as a private in the Continental Army, while his brother John Messersmith (1748-1812) was a member of the militia in Pennsylvania.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Messersmith (1826-1901), a German immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Ohio. He founded the Messersmith Manufacturing Company, which produced agricultural equipment.
Other individuals with the surname include the German-American diplomat George S. Messersmith (1885-1960), who served as the United States Ambassador to Austria and Mexico during the 1930s and 1940s, and the American baseball player Jim Messersmith (1944-2022), who played in the major leagues from 1966 to 1979.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Messersmith
Among Census respondents with the surname Messersmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Messersmith 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 Messersmith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 1,887
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 106
- Two or more races4.1% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 26
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Messersmith
Messersmith 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
#13,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,209
-13 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 954 places
2020
#13,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,121
-88 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,749 | 2,222 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,703 | 2,209 | 0.75 | -13 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 954 places |
| 2020 | #13,676 | 2,121 | 0.71 | -88 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 27 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 Messersmith 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 | #13,703 | #13,676 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,209 | 2,121 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.71 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Messersmith bearers went from 2,209 to 2,121 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,703 to #13,676.
FAQ
Messersmith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Messersmith?
Name Census estimates that about 2,432 living Americans carry the surname Messersmith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,935 residents.
How common is Messersmith?
Messersmith ranks #13,676 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,121 people with the surname Messersmith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,432), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Messersmith.
Has Messersmith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Messersmith went from 2,209 recorded bearers to 2,121. That is a decrease of 88 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,703 to #13,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Messersmith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Messersmith, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Messersmith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (1,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Messersmith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Messersmith (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 Messersmith mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cutler or knife maker, derived from the German words "messer" (knife) and "schmied" (smith). 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 Messersmith (0.71 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 Messersmith?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.