2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mettes
An archaic German surname derived from the medieval German word "mette", meaning a morning prayer service.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Mettes. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mettes 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Mettes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mettes
The surname Mettes is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Germanic word "mette," which means "metal." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with metal or was involved in the metalworking trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mettes can be found in the Bavarian town of Metten, which was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to the 8th century. It's possible that the surname Mettes evolved from the place name Metten, indicating that the first bearers of the name hailed from this region.
In the 13th century, a man named Heinrich Mettes was documented as a metalsmith in the city of Nuremberg, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the metalworking profession. Another notable figure from this era was Konrad Mettes, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck, who lived from approximately 1250 to 1320.
During the Renaissance period, a German artist named Hans Mettes gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures. Born around 1470 in the town of Ulm, his works can still be found in various churches and museums across southern Germany.
In the 17th century, a scholar named Johann Mettes made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. Born in 1590 in the city of Mainz, he is best known for his detailed observations of celestial bodies and his collaboration with the renowned astronomer Johannes Kepler.
Another notable figure was Christoph Mettes, a military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). Born in 1605 in the city of Cologne, he rose through the ranks and became a respected commander known for his strategic prowess on the battlefield.
While the surname Mettes is not particularly common today, it remains deeply rooted in German history and culture, with a rich tapestry of associations ranging from metalworking to academia, art, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mettes
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mettes 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 Mettes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Two or more races10.9% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mettes
Mettes 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,655 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 21,655 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Mettes 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 | #150,452 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mettes bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Mettes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mettes?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Mettes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Mettes?
Mettes ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Mettes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Mettes.
Has Mettes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mettes went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Mettes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettes, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mettes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mettes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (10.9%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Mettes (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 Mettes mean?
An archaic German surname derived from the medieval German word "mette", meaning a morning prayer service. 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 Mettes (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 have the surname Mettes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.