2000
#13,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Metheny
Derived from a place name meaning "a town near a mountain" in Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,310 Americans carry the last name Metheny. That puts it at #14,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Metheny 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
2.3K
1 in 148,379
Census rank
#14,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,014 bearers of the surname Metheny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Metheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Metheny
The surname Metheny is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "mée," which means "a promontory" or "a rocky headland." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near such a geological feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, the name appears as "Methene," which is likely an early spelling variation.
Over time, the name spread across various regions of Europe, and different spellings emerged, such as Metheny, Metheny, and Metheny. These variations likely arose due to local dialects and the influence of regional languages.
One notable individual with the surname Metheny was Sir John Metheny (c. 1450-1518), a prominent English soldier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and represented England in diplomatic missions across Europe.
Another prominent figure was the French philosopher and mathematician, René Metheny (1596-1650), best known for his contributions to the development of modern mathematics and his work on analytical geometry.
In the realm of literature, the American author and poet, Emily Metheny (1830-1886), gained recognition for her poignant works that explored themes of nature, love, and loss. Her poetry collection, "Leaves of Grass," published in 1855, is considered a seminal work of American literature.
The name Metheny has also been associated with notable figures in the field of music. Pat Metheny (born 1954) is a renowned American jazz guitarist and composer who has won 20 Grammy Awards and has been a prominent figure in the jazz scene for over four decades.
Another noteworthy individual is the British composer and conductor, Sir Andrew Metheny (1921-2007), whose works for orchestra and film scores have been widely acclaimed and performed by leading orchestras around the world.
While the surname Metheny has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread across various cultures and regions, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in diverse fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Metheny
Among Census respondents with the surname Metheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Metheny 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 Metheny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 1,796
- Two or more races5.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 68
- Black or African American1.4% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Metheny
Metheny 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
#14,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,072
+66 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 596 places
2020
#14,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,014
-58 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,825 | 2,006 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,421 | 2,072 | 0.70 | +66 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 596 places |
| 2020 | #14,292 | 2,014 | 0.67 | -58 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 129 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 Metheny 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 | #14,421 | #14,292 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,072 | 2,014 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.67 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Metheny bearers went from 2,072 to 2,014 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,421 to #14,292.
FAQ
Metheny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Metheny?
Name Census estimates that about 2,310 living Americans carry the surname Metheny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,379 residents.
How common is Metheny?
Metheny ranks #14,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,014 people with the surname Metheny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Metheny.
Has Metheny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Metheny went from 2,072 recorded bearers to 2,014. That is a decrease of 58 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,421 to #14,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Metheny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Metheny, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Metheny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (1,796 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Metheny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Metheny (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 Metheny mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "a town near a mountain" in Old French. 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 Metheny (0.67 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 Metheny?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.