2000
#7,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Messinger
An occupational surname referring to a messenger or courier who delivered messages or goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,348 Americans carry the last name Messinger. That puts it at #8,357 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,830 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Messinger 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Messinger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 78,830
Census rank
#8,357
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,792 bearers of the surname Messinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8357th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Messinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Messinger
The surname Messinger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Messinger," which means "one who works with brass or bell metal." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in metalworking professions, such as brass smiths or bell makers.
The name Messinger is believed to have originated in southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, where metalworking was a thriving industry during the medieval period. Some early records indicate that the name appeared in various forms, including Messinger, Messinger, and Messenger.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Messinger can be found in the Würzburg Archives, dated around 1300, which mentions a certain "Conradus Messinger" as a resident of the city. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence during the late 13th or early 14th century.
In the 15th century, the Messinger name gained prominence with the birth of Hans Messinger (c. 1440-1515), a renowned German engraver and printmaker. His detailed woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological scenes were highly acclaimed during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure was Johann Messinger (1572-1638), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of optics and lens design. His work on refraction and telescopic lenses paved the way for advancements in astronomical observation.
The Messinger surname also appears in historical records from neighboring regions, such as Austria and Switzerland. In the 16th century, a branch of the Messinger family settled in the Swiss city of Zurich, where they established themselves as respected metalworkers and craftsmen.
During the 18th century, a prominent Messinger family emerged in the German town of Ansbach, Bavaria. This lineage produced several notable figures, including Friedrich Messinger (1705-1782), a renowned theologian and author of several religious texts.
As time passed, the Messinger name spread across various parts of Europe, particularly in regions with strong metalworking traditions. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann Messinger (1828-1901), a German-American inventor and engineer, and Theodor Messinger (1892-1974), an Austrian-American film director and producer who worked in Hollywood during the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Messinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Messinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Messinger 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 Messinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 3,496
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 133
- Two or more races2.6% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 35
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Messinger
Messinger 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
#7,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,436
+318 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 55 places
2020
#8,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,792
-644 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 852 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,450 | 4,118 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,505 | 4,436 | 1.50 | +318 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 55 places |
| 2020 | #8,357 | 3,792 | 1.27 | -644 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 852 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 Messinger 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 | #7,505 | #8,357 | -11.4% |
| Count | 4,436 | 3,792 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.27 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Messinger bearers went from 4,436 to 3,792 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 852 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,505 to #8,357.
FAQ
Messinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Messinger?
Name Census estimates that about 4,348 living Americans carry the surname Messinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,830 residents.
How common is Messinger?
Messinger ranks #8,357 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,792 people with the surname Messinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Messinger.
Has Messinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Messinger went from 4,436 recorded bearers to 3,792. That is a decrease of 644 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,505 to #8,357.
What does the Census say about the background of Messinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Messinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Messinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (3,496 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Messinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Messinger (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 Messinger mean?
An occupational surname referring to a messenger or courier who delivered messages or goods. 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 Messinger (1.27 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 common is the surname Messinger?
If you just want to know how many people are called Messinger, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.