2000
#15,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,746
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Mingus
A variant spelling of the English surname Minge, derived from the Middle English word "mynge" meaning a loud cry or call.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,822 Americans carry the last name Mingus. That puts it at #17,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 188,120 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mingus 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
1.8K
1 in 188,120
Census rank
#17,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,589 bearers of the surname Mingus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mingus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mingus
The surname Mingus is believed to have originated in England, possibly derived from the Old English word "minga," meaning "to remember" or "to commemorate." It is thought to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it appears as "Mingo." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a shortened form of a longer name.
During the medieval period, the name was concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. It is possible that the name originated from a place name, as many surnames were derived from the locations where individuals or families resided.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Myngus," "Myngos," and "Myngus." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
One notable figure with the surname Mingus was Charles Mingus, an influential American jazz bassist, composer, and bandleader who lived from 1922 to 1979. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the development of modern jazz.
Another individual with this surname was William Mingus, an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the early 19th century, from 1811 to 1815.
In the late 19th century, a man named Andrew Jackson Mingus gained recognition as a prominent farmer and landowner in the state of Indiana.
The surname Mingus can also be found in historical records from other parts of the world, such as Germany and the Netherlands, where it may have been adopted by individuals or families who migrated from England.
One notable bearer of this name was Johann Mingus, a German philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century and contributed to the development of Protestant thought during that period.
While the exact origin and early history of the surname Mingus remain somewhat uncertain, it is clear that the name has a long and varied presence across different regions and time periods, with individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mingus
Among Census respondents with the surname Mingus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mingus 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 Mingus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 1,409
- Two or more races4.7% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 59
- Black or African American1.6% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mingus
Mingus 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
#16,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,803
+57 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 651 places
2020
#17,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,589
-214 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 1,326 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,413 | 1,746 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,064 | 1,803 | 0.61 | +57 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 651 places |
| 2020 | #17,390 | 1,589 | 0.53 | -214 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 1,326 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 Mingus 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 | #16,064 | #17,390 | -8.3% |
| Count | 1,803 | 1,589 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.53 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mingus bearers went from 1,803 to 1,589 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 1,326 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,064 to #17,390.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mingus
FAQ
Mingus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mingus?
Name Census estimates that about 1,822 living Americans carry the surname Mingus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 188,120 residents.
How common is Mingus?
Mingus ranks #17,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,589 people with the surname Mingus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,822), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mingus.
Has Mingus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mingus went from 1,803 recorded bearers to 1,589. That is a decrease of 214 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,064 to #17,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Mingus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mingus, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Mingus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (1,409 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mingus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Mingus (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 Mingus mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Minge, derived from the Middle English word "mynge" meaning a loud cry or call. 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 Mingus (0.53 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 common is the surname Mingus?
See how many Americans have the surname Mingus on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.