The Mead surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 22,727 people carried this name — #1,578 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 21,919 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mead surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the mead’.

An early record he cites: William at Mede, 1278 — Writs of Parliament.

His entry covers Mead, Meade and Meed.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 524 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

23 people named Mead is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 23

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Mead was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Buckinghamshire: 50 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 200. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Buckinghamshire 50
Hertfordshire 38
Somerset 22
Essex 21
Wiltshire 9
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

282 families named Mead, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,667 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 88
Connecticut 84
Massachusetts 32
Vermont 23
New Hampshire 16
Pennsylvania 13
Maryland 10
Virginia 9
North Carolina 4
South Carolina 2
Maine 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Mead in American newspapers,
1908–1913.

Newspaper page from New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union carrying the name Mead
New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union 1908-10-14
Newspaper page from The Independent-reporter carrying the name Mead
The Independent-reporter 1913-02-20
Newspaper page from The Grenada Sentinel carrying the name Mead
The Grenada Sentinel 1910-08-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,253 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Mead in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

65,427 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mead. The most, 19,427, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 21,787
New South Wales 17,298
South Australia 8,771
Queensland 8,637
Western Australia 5,967
Tasmania 2,749
ACT (Canberra) 133
Northern Territory 17

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mead.

Who carried it

People named Mead,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Darius Mead
    Darius Mead d. 1864 · politician
  • Stella Mead d. 1981 · writer
  • George B. Mead d. 1995 · conductor
  • Stith Mead d. 1834
  • Mary Mead d. 1754
  • Mary Mead d. 2014

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mead,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,637 records

3,637 records of the Mead name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,472
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 734
  • Other U.S. records 1,431
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William C. Mead

    Born 1932; from St Louis City, Missouri. U.S. Army, infantry reconnaissance scout; killed in action 1951 in North Korea. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Jack L. Mead

    Born 1922 in Colorado. Enlisted 1944 at Santa Ana, California; welder. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1944, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Mead

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; weaver. From Bangor, England; bound for Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,637 records for Mead in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,194 records

1,194 records of the Mead name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 496
  • Tasmanian Names Index 307
  • Other Australian records 391
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Edward Mead

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Duncan, sailing from Sheerness in 1840. Native of Bath, Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alice Jane Mead

    Born 1871 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1895 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Edwd Mead

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the James Browne, aged 30; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,194 records for Mead in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada93 records

93 records of the Mead name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 40
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 14
  • Other Canadian records 39
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Isaac Mead

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Clinton, bound for Annapolis and St Johns, aged 40.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record David Mead

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the L. Superior, landing at Quebec, bound for Georgetown, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Rose Elizabeth Mead

    Died 1967; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 93 records for Mead in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom74 records

74 records of the Mead name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 56
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 16
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Lily Mead

    Died 1992, aged 85; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Joseph Willoughby Mead

    Will proved in 1933; of Llanaber, Merioneth.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Mead

    Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 74 records for Mead in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand22 records

22 records of the Mead name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 13
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ruth Mead

    Buried in 1930 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 40.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Mead

    Died 1921, aged 44; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ernest Leonard Mead

    Died 1979, aged 90; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Mead in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France9 records

9 records of the Mead name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Michel Jack Mead

    Born 1936 in Mende (Lozère); died 1977 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maggie Mead

    Born 1905 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Saint-Jacques-des-Blats (Cantal).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bany John Mead

    Born 1950 in Great Britain; died 1998 in La Charité-sur-Loire (Nièvre).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Mead in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Mead name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Frederick William Mead

    Died 1907 in 's-Gravenzande, aged 18.

    Open Archives, Historisch Archief Westland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Grace Mary Mead

    Died 1922 in Ubbergen, aged 31.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Mead in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mead.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mead is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Mead volume
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