Mize last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mize

A nickname derived from the given name Michael, or an occupational surname for a corn or grain merchant.

Mize, 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 Mize surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mize in America

Mize is the 3008th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mize surname appeared 11,908 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Mize.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mize 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 3008 2786 7.66%
Count 11,908 11,873 0.29%
Proportion per 100k 4.04 4.40 -8.53%

The history of the last name Mize

The surname Mize is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest known roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "mire," meaning "physician" or "healer," possibly suggesting that the name's earliest bearers were associated with the medical profession.

Variations of the name, such as Mires and Myre, can be found in ancient French records and documents from the Middle Ages. One notable example is the mention of a "Jean Mire" in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Lyon, indicating the name's presence in the region during that era.

In England, the Mize surname is believed to have arrived with the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, brought by French settlers and nobles who accompanied William the Conqueror. The earliest known English record of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a "Robert de Myre" was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and adaptations. In Germany, for instance, the name appeared as "Mitz" or "Mitz," while in the Netherlands, it was written as "Mijs" or "Meys." These regional variations often reflected local dialects and pronunciation differences.

One notable bearer of the Mize surname was Sir John Mize, a 15th-century English knight and landowner who fought in the War of the Roses. Another was Pierre Mize, a 16th-century French explorer and cartographer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to the New World.

In the 17th century, the name found its way to the American colonies, with early settlers bearing the surname arriving from England, France, and other parts of Europe. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of William Mize, who was born in Virginia in 1665.

Throughout the centuries, several other individuals with the Mize surname have left their mark on history. These include John Mize (1771-1848), an American politician and member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and Sarah Mize (1801-1888), a pioneer and early settler in the Oregon Territory.

While the Mize surname may have originated from a humble profession, its rich history spans continents and centuries, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of its bearers across various cultures and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mize

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

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 Mize was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.29% 10,871
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.78% 331
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.55% 65
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.98% 117
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.06% 245
Hispanic Origin 2.34% 279

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.29% 93.40% -2.28%
Black 2.78% 2.41% 14.26%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.55% 0.36% 41.76%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.98% 0.72% 30.59%
Two or More Races 2.06% 1.59% 25.75%
Hispanic 2.34% 1.52% 42.49%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mize, 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!

"Mize last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 14, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mize-surname-popularity/.

"Mize last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mize-surname-popularity/. Accessed 14 October, 2024

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

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