2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Metal
A surname derived from the word for metal, possibly describing someone who worked with metal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Metal. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Metal 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Metal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Metal, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Metal
The surname Metal is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "metael," which referred to the material metal, specifically iron or other heavy metals used in crafting tools and weapons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Metal can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327, where a John le Metaler is mentioned. This particular spelling suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade, likely a metalworker or blacksmith.
In the early 15th century, the surname appeared in various other historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1409, which listed a Richard Metal. This spelling variation without the occupational suffix suggests that the name had transitioned into a hereditary surname by that point.
During the 16th century, the surname Metal began to spread across different regions of England. Notable individuals bearing this name include William Metal, a merchant from London who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1582.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Metal surname was Sir John Metal, a wealthy landowner and knight from Worcestershire, who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents, including the Cartulary of St. Mary's Priory in Worcester, dated around 1480.
Another notable figure was Thomas Metal, a prominent clergyman from Lincolnshire, who served as the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Stamford from 1611 until his death in 1628.
In the 17th century, the Metal surname appears to have gained some prominence in the county of Yorkshire. One example is Robert Metal, a successful merchant and landowner from York, who was born in 1632 and died in 1702.
Moving into the 18th century, the name Metal continued to be found in various parts of England. One notable bearer was Samuel Metal, a renowned scholar and author from Oxfordshire, who published several works on philosophy and theology between 1720 and 1752.
Throughout its history, the Metal surname has also been associated with several place names and locations, such as Metal Green in Derbyshire and Metal Farm in Gloucestershire, although the exact origins of these place names and their connection to the surname are unclear.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Metal
Among Census respondents with the surname Metal, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Metal 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 Metal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 5
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Metal
Metal appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Metal 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Metal bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Metal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Metal?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Metal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Metal?
Metal ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Metal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Metal.
Has Metal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Metal went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Metal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Metal, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Metal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Metal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Metal (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 Metal mean?
A surname derived from the word for metal, possibly describing someone who worked with metal. 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 Metal (0.04 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 Metal?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Metal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.