2000
#1,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.13
Uncommon Last name
Mead
An English occupational surname referring to a meadow or grassland, or someone who lived near or worked in one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,545 Americans carry the last name Mead. That puts it at #1,629 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,964 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mead 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mead with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,964
Census rank
#1,629
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,404 bearers of the surname Mead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1629th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mead, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mead
The surname Mead is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "mæd," which means meadow or a tract of grass land used for pasture. This name originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow.
In medieval England, people were often identified by their association with a particular place or landscape feature. The surname Mead first appeared in records during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the name was listed as "Mede" and "Meade."
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name began to appear in various forms, such as "Mede," "Meade," and "Mead," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Some notable early bearers of the name include John atte Mede, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199, and Robert de la Mede, recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1221.
As the surname spread across England, it became associated with certain place names, such as Mead in Hampshire and Meadway in Gloucestershire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the surname Mead. One notable figure was Joseph Mead (1586-1638), an English Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the formative years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Another was Richard Mead (1673-1754), an eminent English physician and influential figure in the development of modern medical practice.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mead include George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), an American philosopher and social psychologist known for his work on symbolic interactionism; Margaret Mead (1901-1978), an influential American cultural anthropologist known for her studies of traditional societies in the Pacific; and Patrick Mead (1914-2017), an English diplomat and educator who served as Secretary-General of the European Cultural Convention.
While the surname Mead originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. Today, the name can be found in various countries, reflecting its enduring historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mead
Among Census respondents with the surname Mead, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mead 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 Mead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 18,939
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 815
- Two or more races3.7% · 802
- Black or African American2.4% · 520
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 193
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 135
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mead
Mead 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
#1,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,727
+808 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 7.70
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#1,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,404
-1,323 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 7.16
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,494 | 21,919 | 8.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,578 | 22,727 | 7.70 | +808 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #1,629 | 21,404 | 7.16 | -1,323 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 51 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 Mead 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 | #1,578 | #1,629 | -3.2% |
| Count | 22,727 | 21,404 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.70 | 7.16 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mead bearers went from 22,727 to 21,404 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,578 to #1,629.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mead
FAQ
Mead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mead?
Name Census estimates that about 24,545 living Americans carry the surname Mead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,964 residents.
How common is Mead?
Mead ranks #1,629 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,404 people with the surname Mead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,545), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Mead.
Has Mead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mead went from 22,727 recorded bearers to 21,404. That is a decrease of 1,323 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,578 to #1,629.
What does the Census say about the background of Mead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mead, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (18,939 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mead (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 Mead mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a meadow or grassland, or someone who lived near or worked in one. 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 Mead (7.16 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 common is the surname Mead?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mead on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.