2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Misgen
A German surname derived from the German word "mischen", meaning "to mix" or "to blend".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Misgen. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Misgen 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Misgen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Misgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Misgen
The surname MISGEN originated in Germany during the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "mischgen," which translates to "mixture" or "blend." This name was likely given to someone who worked with mixing or blending materials, such as a brewer or a dyer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MISGEN name can be found in a local parish register from the town of Bamberg, dated 1492. The entry mentions a Hans Misgen, who was listed as a master brewer.
During the 16th century, the MISGEN name began to spread throughout various regions of Germany, particularly in areas known for their brewing and textile industries. In 1537, a record from the city of Cologne mentions a Wilhelm Misgen, who was a respected dyer and cloth merchant.
As the name traveled, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Misgen, Missgen, and Missghen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of town scribes.
One notable person with the MISGEN surname was Johann Misgen, born in 1612 in Nuremberg. He was a renowned master potter and is credited with developing innovative glazing techniques that were widely adopted by other potters in the region.
Another historical figure was Anna Misgen, born in 1674 in Mainz. She gained recognition as a skilled embroiderer and was commissioned to create intricate designs for various noble families and religious institutions.
In the 18th century, the MISGEN name began to appear in records from other parts of Europe. A merchant named Christoph Misgen, born in 1723 in Heidelberg, is documented as having established trade routes between Germany and the Netherlands, dealing in spices and textiles.
The 19th century saw several notable individuals with the MISGEN surname. Heinrich Misgen, born in 1812 in Frankfurt, was a renowned chemist who made significant contributions to the study of dyes and pigments.
Lastly, Johanna Misgen, born in 1867 in Berlin, was a pioneering female educator who advocated for improving educational opportunities for girls and women in Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Misgen
Among Census respondents with the surname Misgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Misgen 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 Misgen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 110
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Misgen
Misgen 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,734 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 2,734 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 Misgen 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 | #145,220 | #147,954 | -1.9% |
| Count | 114 | 112 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Misgen bearers went from 114 to 112 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 2,734 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,954.
FAQ
Misgen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Misgen?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Misgen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Misgen?
Misgen ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Misgen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Misgen.
Has Misgen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Misgen went from 114 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Misgen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Misgen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Misgen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Misgen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Misgen (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 Misgen mean?
A German surname derived from the German word "mischen", meaning "to mix" or "to blend". 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 Misgen (0.04 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 Misgen?
Find out how many people have the surname Misgen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.