2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Maur
A surname referring to someone of Moorish or North African descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Maur. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maur 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.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Maur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maur, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maur
The surname MAUR is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "maurus," which means "dark-skinned" or "Moor." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals with darker complexions or those who had connections to the Moors of North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MAUR surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Morauld," which is likely an early spelling variation of MAUR.
During the Middle Ages, the MAUR surname was present in various parts of Europe, including France, England, and Germany. Notable individuals bearing this name include Raoul de Maur, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade in the late 12th century.
In the 16th century, the MAUR surname gained prominence in England, where it was sometimes spelled as "Moore" or "More." One notable figure from this era was Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), an English philosopher, statesman, and author who served as Lord Chancellor under King Henry VIII.
The MAUR surname also has a strong presence in Scotland, where it is often associated with the Clan Muir. One of the most prominent members of this clan was Sir William Muir (1598-1657), a Scottish judge and landowner who played a significant role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
In the 18th century, the MAUR surname can be found in various parts of Europe, including France, Germany, and Italy. One notable figure from this period is Jean-Baptiste Maur (1723-1784), a French mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the MAUR surname continued to be present in various countries, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in fields such as literature, science, and politics. Some notable examples include Charles Maur (1835-1908), a French author and journalist, and Alfred Maurer (1868-1932), an American Modernist painter.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maur
Among Census respondents with the surname Maur, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Maur 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 Maur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander18.3% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maur
Maur appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-21 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,557 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+7 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 26,557 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 4,152 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 Maur 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 | #146,201 | #142,049 | 2.8% |
| Count | 113 | 120 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maur bearers went from 113 to 120 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 4,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,049.
FAQ
Maur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maur?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Maur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Maur?
Maur ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Maur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Maur.
Has Maur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maur went from 113 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 7 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Maur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maur, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Maur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (18.3%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Maur (2000, 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 Maur mean?
A surname referring to someone of Moorish or North African descent. 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 Maur (0.04 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 people are called Maur?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Maur on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.