Explore the Family Name Men
The meaning of Men
1. Jewish (from Ukraine): from the Yiddish male personal name Men, a pet form of either Mendel or Biblical Menachem. 2. Cambodian: written ម៉ែន and មិន, both probably of Chinese origin, but unexplained etymology. 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 門, meaning ‘doors or gates’: (i) borne by descendants of certain nobles of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC), since they were allowed to enter the royal palace through the main gate. (ii) from the post name Men (門) in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), equivalent to the modern term ‘guards’. (iii) borne by descendants of certain nobles in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) adopted as a surname by the Chi Men (叱門), Tu Men (吐門) and Ku Men (庫門) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). Some characteristic forenames: Cambodian Bunthoeun, Chamroeun, Chhath, Chhoeun, Moeun, Noeun, Oeurn, Sophat, Yoeun. Chinese Chin, Feng, Hongbin, Lei, Man, Sarin, Shu-Wen, Soeun, Yin. Russian Anatoli, Boris, Igor, Svetlana, Veniamin, Vladimir. Jewish Borukh, Khana.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Men in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Men has seen a significant increase in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Men ranked as the 25,805th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 21,092nd spot — an impressive 18.26% increase. The actual count of individuals with this surname also grew from 896 in 2000 to 1,245 in 2010, marking a 38.95% upturn. As a result, the proportion of individuals named Men per 100k people also rose by 27.27%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,805 | #21,092 | 18.26% |
| Count | 896 | 1,245 | 38.95% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.33 | 0.42 | 27.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Men
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Men, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, largely leans towards Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 77.90% of those bearing the surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, and this number saw a slight rise to 80.00% by 2010. There was also a significant increase in the percentage who identified as Hispanic, which went from 6.25% in 2000 to 9.40% in 2010. However, those identifying as two or more races fell sharply from 5.13% to just 2.01%, while the percentage of Whites also dropped from 8.93% to 7.71%. Notably, there were no recorded instances of individuals with the surname Men identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 77.9% | 80% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic | 6.25% | 9.4% | 50.4% |
| White | 8.93% | 7.71% | -13.66% |
| Two or More Races | 5.13% | 2.01% | -60.82% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |