Minnis last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Minnis

Derived from a place name meaning "at the moor," likely referring to someone who lived near a moor.

Minnis, 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 Minnis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Minnis in America

Minnis is the 10021st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Minnis surname appeared 3,216 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Minnis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Minnis 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 10021 10062 -0.41%
Count 3,216 2,954 8.49%
Proportion per 100k 1.09 1.10 -0.91%

The history of the last name Minnis

The surname MINNIS has its roots in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mynydd," which means "hill" or "mountain." The name was initially used to denote someone who lived near a hill or in a hilly region.

The earliest records of the name MINNIS can be traced back to the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the areas of Berwickshire and Roxburghshire. Historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals with similar spellings, such as "Mynnis" and "Myneys."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One notable entry is that of John de Mynnis, who held lands in Berwickshire in the year 1296.

The MINNIS surname is also found in various medieval charters and other legal documents from the Scottish Borders region. For instance, in 1450, a charter granted lands in Roxburghshire to a certain William Mynnis.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MINNIS surname was Robert Minnis, born around 1510 in Berwickshire, Scotland. He was a prominent landowner and farmer in the region.

In the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. One notable figure was James Minnis, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who lived from 1560 to 1632.

During the 17th century, the MINNIS surname gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands. John Minnis, born in 1620 in Roxburghshire, was a respected minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1682.

Another notable individual was Sir George Minnis, born in 1655 in Berwickshire. He was a successful businessman and landowner who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1709 to 1711.

In the 18th century, the MINNIS surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure was William Minnis, born in 1710 in Edinburgh, who became a successful merchant and immigrant to the American colonies, settling in Virginia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Minnis

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

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 Minnis was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 62.97% 2,025
Non-Hispanic Black Only 30.32% 975
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.56% 18
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.44% 14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.43% 78
Hispanic Origin 3.30% 106

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 Minnis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 62.97% 64.83% -2.91%
Black 30.32% 29.76% 1.86%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.56% 0.24% 80.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.44% 0.58% -27.45%
Two or More Races 2.43% 2.40% 1.24%
Hispanic 3.30% 2.20% 40.00%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Minnis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/minnis-surname-popularity/.

"Minnis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/minnis-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Minnis last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/minnis-surname-popularity/.

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