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

Middle, 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 Middle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Middle in America

Middle is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Middle surname appeared 137 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 Middle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Middle 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 Middle

The surname MIDDLE has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "middel" or "middre," which meant "middle" or "amid." These words were likely used to describe someone who lived in the middle part of a town, village, or region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MIDDLE surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a "Robertus de la Middel" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive term to identify someone's place of residence.

In the 14th century, the MIDDLE surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a "Johannes Midyll" is listed in Yorkshire. The name also appeared in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, which recorded a "William atte Middel" in Sussex.

During the 15th century, the surname began to take on various spellings, including "Middel," "Myddel," and "Myddle." One notable individual from this time period was John Middleton (c. 1443-1508), a prominent English composer and choirmaster at the Chapel Royal.

In the 16th century, the MIDDLE surname continued to appear in historical records, such as the Muster Rolls of 1539, which listed a "Thomas Myddelton" in Warwickshire. Another notable figure from this era was Sir Hugh Myddelton (1556-1631), an English businessman, goldsmith, and engineer best known for constructing the New River, an artificial waterway that brought fresh water from Hertfordshire to London.

The 17th century saw the MIDDLE surname spread across England, with various individuals bearing the name achieving notable positions. One such person was Sir Thomas Myddelton (1586-1666), a member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London in 1613-1614.

In the 18th century, the MIDDLE surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals like Charles Middleton (1726-1813), a British naval officer and First Lord of the Admiralty, and Richard Middleton (1726-1804), an English poet and philologist.

As the centuries progressed, the MIDDLE surname became more widespread, with notable individuals bearing the name appearing in various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Middle

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

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 Middle 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 Middle 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 Middle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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