2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mettner
A German surname derived from a derivative of the word "Mettner" meaning an inhabitant of a town called "Metten".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Mettner. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mettner 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Mettner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mettner
The surname Mettner is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was initially spelled as "Mettner" or "Metner."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mettner dates back to the 15th century, in a manuscript from the town of Zwickau, Saxony. This document mentions a certain Hans Mettner, a merchant and guild member, who lived between 1420 and 1489.
The name Mettner is thought to be derived from the German word "Mette," which means "matins" or "morning prayers." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who were involved in religious activities or worked in monasteries or churches.
In the 16th century, the Mettner family gained prominence in the town of Regensburg, Bavaria. Johannes Mettner (1499-1572) was a renowned scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable figure with the surname Mettner was Friedrich Mettner (1809-1887), a German writer and journalist born in Berlin. He was known for his literary works, including novels and poems, and his contributions to various publications.
Historically, the name Mettner has also been associated with certain place names in Germany. For instance, the village of Mettnerstadt in Bavaria was once known as "Mettner's Stadt," which translates to "Mettner's Town."
In the 19th century, the Mettner family spread across different parts of Europe, with some members settling in Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. One prominent individual was Karl Mettner (1845-1918), an Austrian architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Vienna.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mettner include:
1. Max Mettner (1866-1944), a German painter and printmaker known for his landscapes and portraits.
2. Ernst Mettner (1887-1957), a German physicist and university professor who made contributions to the field of optics.
3. Hedwig Mettner (1890-1976), a German actress and film director who worked in the early years of German cinema.
4. Otto Mettner (1902-1985), a German music composer and conductor who wrote several operas and orchestral works.
5. Bruno Mettner (1915-2003), a German engineer and inventor who held patents for various automotive technologies.
While the Mettner surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, preserving its rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mettner
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mettner 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 Mettner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mettner
Mettner 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Mettner 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mettner bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Mettner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mettner?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Mettner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Mettner?
Mettner ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Mettner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Mettner.
Has Mettner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mettner went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Mettner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Mettner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mettner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Mettner (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 Mettner mean?
A German surname derived from a derivative of the word "Mettner" meaning an inhabitant of a town called "Metten". 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 Mettner (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 Mettner?
If you just want to know how many people are called Mettner, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.