2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Matovu
A surname originating from Uganda, meaning "powerful" or "victorious".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 235 Americans carry the last name Matovu. That puts it at #95,461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,458,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matovu surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Matovu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
235
1 in 1,458,529
Census rank
#95,461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
205
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 205 bearers of the surname Matovu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matovu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matovu
The surname Matovu has its origins in Uganda, a country located in East Africa. It is believed to have originated in the early 19th century, derived from the Luganda language spoken by the Baganda people.
In Luganda, the word "matovu" is said to mean "the wealthy one" or "the prosperous one." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals or families who held considerable wealth or status within their communities.
Historical records from the region indicate that the Matovu surname first appeared in written documents during the reign of Kabaka (King) Suna II, who ruled the Buganda Kingdom from 1824 to 1856. Several notable figures bearing the name Matovu are mentioned in these records, including Matovu Mukasa, a prominent chief and advisor to the king.
During the late 19th century, as the influence of the British Empire spread across Uganda, the Matovu surname began to appear in colonial administrative records and census documents. One significant figure from this period was John Matovu (1865-1925), a prominent Protestant missionary and teacher who played a vital role in establishing Christian education in Uganda.
In the early 20th century, the Matovu name gained further recognition with the birth of Yozefu Matovu (1910-1987), a renowned Ugandan composer and musician who contributed significantly to the development of traditional Kiganda music.
Another notable individual with the surname Matovu was Sarah Matovu (1920-2003), a pioneering Ugandan politician and women's rights activist. She was the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly of Uganda in 1962 and played a pivotal role in advocating for women's empowerment and gender equality.
More recently, the Matovu surname has been associated with prominent figures such as Emmanuel Matovu (born 1962), a Ugandan economist and former Executive Director of the African Development Bank Group.
Throughout its history, the Matovu surname has maintained a strong connection to its Luganda roots and the cultural heritage of the Baganda people. While its origins can be traced back to the early 19th century, the name continues to be widely used and respected in Uganda and among Ugandan communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matovu
Among Census respondents with the surname Matovu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Matovu bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Matovu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.8% · 178
- White6.3% · 13
- Two or more races3.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matovu
Matovu appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#95,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
+81 bearers (+65.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 40,132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #95,461 | 205 | 0.07 | +81 bearers (+65.3%) | Up 40,132 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Matovu surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #95,461 | 29.6% |
| Count | 124 | 205 | 65.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.07 | 71.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matovu bearers went from 124 to 205 (+65.3% change). The surname moved up 40,132 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #95,461.
FAQ
Matovu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matovu?
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the surname Matovu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,458,529 residents.
How common is Matovu?
Matovu ranks #95,461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 205 people with the surname Matovu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Matovu.
Has Matovu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matovu went from 124 recorded bearers to 205. That is an increase of 81 (+65.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #135,593 to #95,461.
What does the Census say about the background of Matovu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matovu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Matovu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (178 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matovu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.8%), White (6.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Matovu (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Matovu mean?
A surname originating from Uganda, meaning "powerful" or "victorious". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Matovu (0.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Matovu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.