The Messenger surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,022 people carried this name — #5,752 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 49,000 people counted. That is up 3% from 5,824 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Messenger surname

A surname originating as an occupation for a messenger.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Messenger» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the messenger’.

An early record he cites: Reginald le Messager, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 529 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Messenger was found among the farmers of Leicestershire and Rutland: 17 in every 10,000.

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

Leicestershire and Rutland 17

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

56 families named Messenger, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 362 people lived in those households, 6.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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

Connecticut 16
Massachusetts 15
Pennsylvania 12
New York 7
Vermont 3
New Hampshire 1
Maryland 1
North Carolina 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

Messenger in American newspapers,
1903–1925.

Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Messenger
Evening Star 1925-06-15
Newspaper page from Wheeling Sunday Register carrying the name Messenger
Wheeling Sunday Register 1903-06-14
Newspaper page from The St. Louis Republic carrying the name Messenger
The St. Louis Republic 1903-04-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,060 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Messenger in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

12,362 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Messenger. The most, 1,983, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 4,241
New South Wales 2,498
Queensland 2,156
Victoria 1,974
Western Australia 1,155
Tasmania 240
ACT (Canberra) 43
Northern Territory 20

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

Who carried it

People named Messenger,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Messenger
    James Messenger 1821–1901 · rower
  • Lillian Rozell Messenger
    Lillian Rozell Messenger 1843–1921 · writer
  • Charles A. Messenger
    Charles A. Messenger 1855–1905 · rower
  • Dally Messenger
    Dally Messenger 1883–1959 · rugby union player
  • Rachel Messenger d. 1638
  • W C Messenger d. 1920

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 Messenger,
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 States626 records

626 records of the Messenger name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 212
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 161
  • Other U.S. records 253
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Kenneth Edward Messenger

    Born 1940; from Wantagh, New York. U.S. Army, helicopter pilot; died of wounds 1968 in Kien Hoa, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    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 Harry E. Messenger

    Born 1913 in Maryland. Enlisted 1941 at Terre Alta, West Virginia; carpenter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Sunset Hills Burial Park, Canton, Ohio.

    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 Regina Messenger

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the Waesland from Antwerp, aged 24; farmer. From Germany; bound for Baltimore.

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

Showing 3 of 626 records for Messenger in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). 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).

Canada372 records

372 records of the Messenger name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 353
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • Other Canadian records 14
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Florence Maude Messenger

    Buried in 1978 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 85.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Fulton Messenger

    Died 1932 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Francis Messenger

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 372 records for Messenger in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia299 records

299 records of the Messenger name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 189
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 37
  • Other Australian records 73
  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 Hannah Messenger

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Royal Admiral, sailing from London in 1842. Native of Cumberland. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1844 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 33.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Gulf of Mexico, aged 21; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Francis Messenger

    Gentleman of Clayton, Victoria; died 1904.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 299 records for Messenger in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom24 records

24 records of the Messenger name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 18
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Messenger

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 54.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. G. Messenger

    Labour Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Louisa Messenger

    Buried in 1848 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Messenger 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Messenger name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frank Messenger

    Buried in 1969 at Buffalo Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 96.

    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 Raymond Wright Messenger

    Died 1997, aged 68; buried at Bromley 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 William Messenger

    Died 1937, aged 87; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Messenger in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Messenger 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 John Messenger

    Born 1921 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Sartène (Corse-du-Sud).

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

    Born 1921 in Argenteuil (Yvelines); died 1979 in Bagneux (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Messenger name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Lilian Messenger

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1907 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Lilian Messenger

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Messenger.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Messenger 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.

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