2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Metzig
A German occupational surname derived from the German word "metzger" meaning butcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Metzig. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Metzig 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Metzig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Metzig
The surname Metzig originated in Germany during the Medieval period, likely in the late 13th or early 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "metzige," which referred to a butcher or someone who worked in the meat trade. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals whose primary occupation involved butchering animals or selling meat products.
One of the earliest known references to the Metzig name can be found in the Stadtbücher (city records) of Augsburg, Germany, dating back to the year 1368. These records mention a "Hans Metzig," who was a butcher in the city at that time. The name also appears in other historical documents from various regions of Germany, including the Würzburg Lehenbuch (feudal register) from 1399, which lists a "Cunrad Metziger."
During the Middle Ages, the Metzig surname was particularly prevalent in southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. However, as people migrated and families spread, the name eventually became more widespread throughout other parts of Germany and neighboring regions.
One notable historical figure bearing the Metzig surname was Johannes Metzig, a German theologian and clergyman who lived from 1439 to 1510. He served as the Provost of the Cathedral Chapter in Bamberg and was known for his theological writings and sermons.
Another individual of note was Hans Metzig, a German painter and engraver who lived from around 1480 to 1540. He was known for his intricate woodcut illustrations and worked in various cities, including Augsburg and Nuremberg.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Metzig family settled in the region of Saxony, where they became prominent landowners and nobles. One member, Heinrich Metzig, was born in 1562 and served as a magistrate in the city of Leipzig.
As the Metzig surname spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Metzger, Metziger, and Metzger. These variations often reflected regional dialects and differences in pronunciation but ultimately derived from the same occupational origin.
Throughout the centuries, the Metzig surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including craftsmen, merchants, scholars, and artists. While not as common today as some other German surnames, it remains a part of the region's rich cultural heritage and a testament to the important role of butchers and the meat trade in medieval society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Metzig
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Metzig 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 Metzig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 101
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Metzig
Metzig 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,225 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 13,225 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 2,454 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 Metzig 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 | #156,044 | #153,590 | 1.6% |
| Count | 104 | 104 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Metzig bearers went from 104 to 104 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 2,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #153,590.
FAQ
Metzig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Metzig?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Metzig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Metzig?
Metzig ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Metzig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Metzig.
Has Metzig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Metzig went from 104 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Metzig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzig, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Metzig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Metzig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Metzig (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 Metzig mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the German word "metzger" meaning butcher. 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 Metzig (0.03 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 Metzig?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.