Explore the Family Name Meis

The meaning of Meis

1. German: variant of Meise or Meiss. 2. Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Remeis, from Latin Remigius (see Remy). In North America, this surname may also be an altered form of the variant Meijs. 3. Flemish and Dutch: from a shortened form of the personal name Meinso, a variant of Mein.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Meis in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Meis has seen a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name fell from 17,719 in 2000 to 19,041 in 2010, a drop of approximately 7.46%. Similarly, the count of individuals with the last name Meis decreased slightly by about 1.92%, going from 1,458 in 2000 to 1,430 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also decreased during this period by roughly 11.11%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#17,719	#19,041	-7.46%
Count	1,458	1,430	-1.92%
Proportion per 100k	0.54	0.48	-11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Meis

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identities associated with the surname Meis. In 2000, the majority of Meis were identified as White at 92.39%, which decreased slightly to 91.82% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic increased by 13.73% over the decade, while the percent identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 36.36%. Notably, there was a significant increase in those reporting two or more ethnicities, rising from 1.37% to 2.73%. The proportions for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities, however, fell to zero in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
White	92.39%	91.82%	-0.62%
Hispanic	3.57%	4.06%	13.73%
Two or More Races	1.37%	2.73%	99.27%
Asian/Pacific Islander	1.1%	0.7%	-36.36%
Black	1.03%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0.55%	0%	0%