2000
#27,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 811
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Masker
An English surname derived from the Old French word "masque", referring to a mask-maker or performer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,015 Americans carry the last name Masker. That puts it at #28,625 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 337,689 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Masker 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
1.0K
1 in 337,689
Census rank
#28,625
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
885
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 885 bearers of the surname Masker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28625th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Masker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Masker
The surname Masker is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "mascre," which referred to a person who made masks or disguises. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who crafted masks for theatrical performances, masquerades, or other festive occasions.
Masker can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations in spelling, such as "Masker," "Mascare," and "Maschere." The name is found in various historical documents, including tax rolls and parish records, indicating its widespread use across different regions of England.
One of the earliest known references to the name Masker can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, where a certain John Masker is mentioned. Another early record is from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, listing a Robert Masker as a taxpayer.
In the 15th century, the name Masker appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Suffolk, where a Thomas Masker was recorded as a resident in 1674. This suggests that the family had established roots in the eastern part of England by that time.
Among notable individuals bearing the surname Masker throughout history, one can mention:
1. William Masker (c. 1520-1587), an English playwright and actor known for his contributions to the early English Renaissance theater.
2. Margaret Masker (1645-1721), a prominent landowner and philanthropist from Gloucestershire, who funded the construction of several schools and almshouses in her region.
3. John Masker (1712-1789), a renowned clockmaker from London, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy of the time.
4. Richard Masker (1785-1853), a British explorer and naturalist, famous for his expeditions to the Caribbean islands and his detailed accounts of the local flora and fauna.
5. Elizabeth Masker (1820-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who established one of the first schools for girls in Manchester.
While the surname Masker has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with families bearing this name found in various countries today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Masker
Among Census respondents with the surname Masker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Masker 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 Masker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 808
- Two or more races4.0% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Masker
Masker 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
#33,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 687
-124 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 5,403 places
2020
#28,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 885
+198 bearers (+28.8%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 4,655 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,877 | 811 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,280 | 687 | 0.23 | -124 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 5,403 places |
| 2020 | #28,625 | 885 | 0.30 | +198 bearers (+28.8%) | Up 4,655 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 Masker 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 | #33,280 | #28,625 | 14.0% |
| Count | 687 | 885 | 28.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.30 | 28.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Masker bearers went from 687 to 885 (+28.8% change). The surname moved up 4,655 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,280 to #28,625.
FAQ
Masker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Masker?
Name Census estimates that about 1,015 living Americans carry the surname Masker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 337,689 residents.
How common is Masker?
Masker ranks #28,625 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 885 people with the surname Masker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,015), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Masker.
Has Masker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Masker went from 687 recorded bearers to 885. That is an increase of 198 (+28.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,280 to #28,625.
What does the Census say about the background of Masker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Masker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Masker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (808 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Masker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Masker (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 Masker mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French word "masque", referring to a mask-maker or performer. 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 Masker (0.30 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 have the last name Masker?
Want to know how many people are called Masker? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.