2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mustaine
Of French origin, referring to an estate or manor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Mustaine. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mustaine 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Mustaine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mustaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mustaine
The surname Mustaine originates from the Old French word "mustaine," which means "musty" or "stale." It is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname referring to someone who had an unpleasant odor or lived in a musty environment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mustaine can be traced back to the early 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. According to historical records, a certain Robertus de Mustaine was mentioned in a charter from the year 1224, indicating the presence of the surname in that area during that time period.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Mustaine, Mustane, Mustain, and Mustine. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.
In England, the name Mustaine appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where it was recorded as "Mustyn." This early reference suggests that the name had been adopted in England by that time, likely brought over by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Mustaine was Sir John Mustaine, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. He was born in 1320 and died in 1387.
Another prominent individual with the surname Mustaine was William Mustaine, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was born in 1525 and played a significant role in the governance of the city until his death in 1590.
In the 17th century, the name Mustaine was associated with a family that owned land in the county of Gloucestershire, England. John Mustaine, born in 1622, was a landowner and magistrate in the town of Tewkesbury.
During the 18th century, the Mustaine family had a presence in Scotland, where a branch of the family settled. Robert Mustaine, born in 1735, was a respected merchant and member of the guild in the city of Edinburgh.
In the 19th century, the surname Mustaine gained recognition in the United States, where many immigrants with the name settled. One notable figure was James Mustaine, born in 1842, who served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War and later became a prominent businessman in the state of Ohio.
It is important to note that while this report provides an overview of the surname Mustaine, genealogical research may uncover additional information and nuances regarding its origins and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mustaine
Among Census respondents with the surname Mustaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mustaine 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 Mustaine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 98
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mustaine
Mustaine 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,399 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-15 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,399 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 13,042 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 Mustaine 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 | #141,140 | #154,182 | -9.2% |
| Count | 118 | 103 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mustaine bearers went from 118 to 103 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 13,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #154,182.
FAQ
Mustaine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mustaine?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Mustaine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Mustaine?
Mustaine ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Mustaine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mustaine.
Has Mustaine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mustaine went from 118 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Mustaine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mustaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mustaine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mustaine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Mustaine (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 Mustaine mean?
Of French origin, referring to an estate or manor. 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 Mustaine (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Mustaine?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.