2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Middlemist
A surname derived from a location with mist in the middle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Middlemist. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Middlemist 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Middlemist with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Middlemist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Middlemist, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Middlemist
The surname Middlemist is of English origin, originating in the northern region of England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old English words "middel" meaning "middle" and "mist" meaning "mist" or "fog." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in an area prone to mists or fogs, possibly near a river or other body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "de Middelmist." This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to a specific place or location.
In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, the name is listed as "Middelmyst," further demonstrating the evolution of the spelling over time. These early records provide valuable insight into the name's historical origins and development.
Notable individuals bearing the Middlemist surname include John Middlemist (1578-1643), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Twickenham. His works include religious treatises and sermons published during the early 17th century.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Middlemist (1638-1712), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1692. He was involved in various trade ventures and played a significant role in the City of London's governance.
In the 19th century, Robert Middlemist (1815-1888) was a Scottish architect known for his work in Edinburgh, where he designed several notable buildings, including the Newington United Presbyterian Church and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
William Middlemist (1859-1926), born in England, was a prominent civil engineer who worked on various railway projects in India, including the construction of the Khyber Pass Railway.
Lastly, Mary Middlemist (1891-1976), a Canadian author and educator, made significant contributions to children's literature with her historical fiction novels set in Canada during the 18th and 19th centuries.
While the surname Middlemist may have evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely referred to a specific geographic location characterized by misty or foggy conditions. The name has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, architects, engineers, and authors, leaving a lasting impact on their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Middlemist
Among Census respondents with the surname Middlemist, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Middlemist 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 Middlemist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Middlemist
Middlemist 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-11 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 8,554 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 Middlemist 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 | #146,201 | #154,755 | -5.9% |
| Count | 113 | 102 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Middlemist bearers went from 113 to 102 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 8,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,755.
FAQ
Middlemist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Middlemist?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Middlemist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Middlemist?
Middlemist ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Middlemist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Middlemist.
Has Middlemist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Middlemist went from 113 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Middlemist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Middlemist, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Middlemist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Middlemist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Hispanic (10.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Middlemist (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 Middlemist mean?
A surname derived from a location with mist in the middle. 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 Middlemist (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 Americans have the surname Middlemist?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.