2000
#44,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 454
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Mantei
An Italian surname likely derived from the region of Mantua or meaning "cloak" or "coat".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 586 Americans carry the last name Mantei. That puts it at #45,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 584,905 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mantei 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
586
1 in 584,905
Census rank
#45,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
511
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 511 bearers of the surname Mantei in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mantei, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mantei
The surname MANTEI has its origins in Germany, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged in the early 13th century, derived from the Low German word "mante," which means "mantle" or "cloak." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a cloak maker or seller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of the town of Lübeck, where a certain Hinrich Mantei is mentioned in a document dated 1287. This document pertains to a land transaction, indicating that the Mantei family had already established itself in the region by that time.
The name MANTEI also appeared in the historical records of the city of Hamburg, where a Johann Mantei was listed as a member of the city council in the year 1435. This suggests that the family had gained prominence and influence in the area.
During the 16th century, the name MANTEI began to spread across other parts of northern Germany, including the regions of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. One notable individual from this period was Hans Mantei, a merchant from the town of Stralsund, who was born in 1524 and played a role in the Hanseatic League's trading activities.
As the years progressed, the MANTEI surname continued to be found in various historical records and documents throughout northern Germany. In the 18th century, a certain Friedrich Mantei, born in 1712 in the town of Rostock, became a respected scholar and author, publishing works on philosophy and theology.
Another prominent figure bearing the MANTEI name was Carl Mantei, born in 1820 in the city of Hamburg. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, known for his contributions to the development of the city's infrastructure and social welfare programs.
It is worth noting that throughout the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname have been observed, including Mantey, Mantai, and Manteje, among others. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to its roots in the Low German language and the traditional occupation of cloak making.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mantei
Among Census respondents with the surname Mantei, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mantei 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 Mantei surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 471
- Two or more races4.1% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mantei
Mantei 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
#42,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 510
+56 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 2,063 places
2020
#45,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 511
+1 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 2,636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,574 | 454 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,511 | 510 | 0.17 | +56 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 2,063 places |
| 2020 | #45,147 | 511 | 0.17 | +1 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 2,636 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 Mantei 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 | #42,511 | #45,147 | -6.2% |
| Count | 510 | 511 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mantei bearers went from 510 to 511 (+0.2% change). The surname moved down 2,636 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,511 to #45,147.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mantei
FAQ
Mantei surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mantei?
Name Census estimates that about 586 living Americans carry the surname Mantei. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 584,905 residents.
How common is Mantei?
Mantei ranks #45,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 511 people with the surname Mantei. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (586), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Mantei.
Has Mantei become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mantei went from 510 recorded bearers to 511. That is an increase of 1 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #42,511 to #45,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Mantei?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mantei, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Mantei in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mantei appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Mantei (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 Mantei mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from the region of Mantua or meaning "cloak" or "coat". 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 Mantei (0.17 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 Mantei?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.