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

Muench, 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 Muench surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muench in America

Muench is the 11743rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muench surname appeared 2,668 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 Muench.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muench 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.

The history of the last name Muench

The surname Muench is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria in southern Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "munich," which translates to "monk." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone who either lived near a monastery or had some association with monastic life.

The earliest known record of the surname Muench dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records from the region. One notable reference can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which mentions a certain "Henricus Munich" in 1288.

During the Middle Ages, the name Muench was also associated with several place names in Bavaria, such as Münchsmünster and München (the modern-day city of Munich). These place names likely derived from the same root word as the surname, indicating a connection between the name and the monastic settlements in the area.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Muench was Johannes Muench, a German painter and woodcarver who lived in the 15th century. Another notable figure was Hieronymus Muench, a German botanist and physician who was born in 1551 and made significant contributions to the study of plant life.

In the 17th century, the Muench family had a presence in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. Records show that a family member, Johann Muench, was a respected merchant and town councilor in the early 1600s.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Muench was Friedrich Muench, a German philosopher and writer who was born in 1737 and authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the name Muench gained prominence in the field of music with the birth of Ernst Muench, a German composer and conductor who lived from 1859 to 1928. His compositions and leadership of various orchestras and choirs earned him recognition throughout Germany and beyond.

Throughout its history, the surname Muench has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from artists and scholars to merchants and community leaders. While the name may have originated from a monastic connection, it has since become a widespread surname across Germany and other parts of the world where German immigrants settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muench

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

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 Muench was:

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

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

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

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