Explore the Family Name Mekonnen

The meaning of Mekonnen

Ethiopian: from the personal name Mekonnen, meaning ‘army officer’ in the Amharic language. Compare Makonnen and Mekonen. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Ethiopian Mesfin, Getachew, Teferi, Amare, Mehari, Melaku, Tesfaye, Admasu, Alem, Alemayehu, Ashenafi, Ayele.

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

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

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mekonnen has increased significantly from the year 2000 to 2010. The rank of the surname rose from 41,522 in 2000 to 20,961 in 2010, indicating a change of roughly 49.52%. In terms of count, there were 494 people with the surname Mekonnen in 2000, which jumped to 1,256 by 2010 - a substantial increase of 154.25%. The proportion per 100,000 also experienced a dramatic increase, going from 0.18 to 0.43, which translates to an increase of 138.89%.

20002010Change
Rank#41,522#20,96149.52%
Count4941,256154.25%
Proportion per 100k0.180.43138.89%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mekonnen

The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the surname Mekonnen. In 2000, the highest percentage of the surname was found within the Black community at 85.83%, and this percentage increased to 97.21% by 2010, a change of 13.26%. There was also a small percentage of White and Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicities, but these decreased slightly by 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races dropped dramatically from 11.94% in 2000 to 0.88% in 2010. No individuals with the Mekonnen surname identified as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
Black85.83%97.21%13.26%
White1.21%1.11%-8.26%
Two or More Races11.94%0.88%-92.63%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.01%0.56%-44.55%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%