2000
#13,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Minix
A Dutch nickname derived from Minne, meaning "love" or "affection."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,454 Americans carry the last name Minix. That puts it at #13,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,672 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minix 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
2.5K
1 in 139,672
Census rank
#13,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,140 bearers of the surname Minix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minix, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minix
The surname MINIX is of Dutch origin, with its roots tracing back to the Netherlands in the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Dutch word "minne," which means "love" or "affection." This suggests that the name MINIX may have initially been a nickname or surname given to someone who was known for their loving or affectionate nature.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the provinces of North and South Holland, where it first gained prominence. However, as time passed, it spread to other parts of the Netherlands and eventually beyond Dutch borders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MINIX surname can be found in the Dutch church records from the late 16th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Minnex," "Minnix," and "Minnicks," reflecting the evolution of its pronunciation and spelling over time.
A notable figure bearing the MINIX surname was Hendrik Minix, a Dutch politician and member of the States General (the Dutch parliament) in the late 17th century. Born in 1642 in Amsterdam, he played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of the Netherlands during his tenure.
Another prominent individual with the MINIX surname was Pieter Minix, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the 18th century. Pieter Minix was known for his successful trading ventures, particularly in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia), where he amassed a considerable fortune.
In the 19th century, the MINIX name gained further recognition with the birth of Jacobus Minix (1810-1892), a renowned Dutch painter and artist. Jacobus Minix's works were celebrated for their realistic portrayals of rural Dutch life and landscapes.
Across the Atlantic, the MINIX surname also found its way to the United States, where it was carried by Dutch immigrants. One notable American bearer of the name was William Minix (1856-1932), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. William Minix made significant contributions to the development of his local community and supported various charitable causes.
Another individual of note was Anna Minix (1892-1978), a Dutch-American author and educator. Born in the Netherlands, Anna Minix immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and dedicated her life to teaching and promoting Dutch literature and culture.
While the MINIX surname may not be among the most common or well-known in the world, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark across various fields and professions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minix
Among Census respondents with the surname Minix, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Minix 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 Minix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 1,623
- Black or African American18.0% · 386
- Two or more races2.8% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minix
Minix 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
#12,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,552
+440 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 1,045 places
2020
#13,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,140
-412 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,249 | 2,112 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,204 | 2,552 | 0.87 | +440 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 1,045 places |
| 2020 | #13,571 | 2,140 | 0.72 | -412 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 1,367 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 Minix 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 | #12,204 | #13,571 | -11.2% |
| Count | 2,552 | 2,140 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.72 | -17.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minix bearers went from 2,552 to 2,140 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 1,367 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,204 to #13,571.
FAQ
Minix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minix?
Name Census estimates that about 2,454 living Americans carry the surname Minix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,672 residents.
How common is Minix?
Minix ranks #13,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,140 people with the surname Minix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,454), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Minix.
Has Minix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minix went from 2,552 recorded bearers to 2,140. That is a decrease of 412 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,204 to #13,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Minix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minix, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Minix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (1,623 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Black (18.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Minix (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 Minix mean?
A Dutch nickname derived from Minne, meaning "love" or "affection." 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 Minix (0.72 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 are called Minix?
See how many Americans have the surname Minix on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.