Find out how popular the last name Mey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mey.

Mey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mey in America

Mey is the 24352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mey surname appeared 1,029 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mey

The surname "MEY" is believed to have originated in Germany and the Netherlands, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "mey," meaning a meadow or a field. This name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or a field.

In Germany, the name "MEY" was first recorded in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of medieval charters and records from the region of Westphalia, dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name was Johann Mey, who was a landowner in the town of Münster in the late 13th century.

The name "MEY" can also be found in early Dutch records, such as the Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland, a collection of historical documents from the provinces of Holland and Zeeland. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name in the Netherlands was Willem van der Mey, a merchant from Amsterdam in the 15th century.

In England, the name "MEY" is believed to have been introduced by German and Dutch immigrants during the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable individual with this surname was Sir William Mey, a courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII in the early 16th century.

Another prominent figure with the name "MEY" was Johann Mey, a German artist and printmaker who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted religious and allegorical scenes.

In France, the name "MEY" is sometimes spelled as "MEY" or "MAYE." One famous bearer of this name was André Maye, a French writer and poet who lived in the 19th century. He is best known for his collections of poetry and his work as a literary critic.

Other notable individuals with the surname "MEY" include:

1. Johann Heinrich Mey, a German botanist and explorer who lived in the 19th century and made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.

2. Melchior Mey, a Dutch painter and etcher who lived in the 17th century and was known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

3. Adriaan Mey, a Dutch navigator and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 17th century.

4. Johannes Mey, a German composer and organist who lived in the 16th century and wrote several works for the Lutheran church.

5. Johann Friedrich Mey, a German architect and urban planner who lived in the 18th century and designed several notable buildings in Berlin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mey, please contact us.

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