2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mawae
Possibly of Hawaiian origin meaning "journey" or "path".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Mawae. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mawae 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Mawae in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mawae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.8%) and White (16.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mawae
The surname MAWAE has its origins in Samoa, an island country located in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean. This name dates back to the early 19th century and is derived from the Samoan language.
MAWAE is believed to be a combination of two words: "ma" meaning "with" and "wae" meaning "leg" or "foot". Therefore, the name likely referred to someone who had a distinctive gait or a physical characteristic related to their legs or feet.
Early records show that the name MAWAE first appeared in written documents in the 1830s when European missionaries and explorers began documenting the names of Samoan villagers they encountered. One of the earliest known mentions of the name was in a journal entry by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, who visited Samoa in 1838.
In the late 19th century, a man named Mawae Filiga (born c. 1855) was a prominent chief and leader in the village of Falefa on the island of Upolu. He played a significant role in maintaining traditional customs and practices during a period of rapid social change brought about by European influence.
Another notable figure with the surname MAWAE was Mawae Tuitele (1885-1962), a skilled orator and advisor to the Samoan royal family. He was renowned for his knowledge of Samoan genealogy and history, and served as a keeper of cultural traditions.
In the early 20th century, a man named Mawae Aumua (1901-1979) was a respected teacher and scholar who helped preserve and document the Samoan language. He authored several books on Samoan grammar and vocabulary, which became important resources for future generations.
During World War II, a soldier named Mawae Tuiloma (1920-1944) fought bravely for the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific theater. He was killed in action during the Battle of Peleliu in 1944 and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his valor and sacrifice.
Another notable figure with the MAWAE surname was Mawae Toelupe (1935-2010), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the economic development of Samoa. He founded several companies and was actively involved in various charitable organizations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mawae
Among Census respondents with the surname Mawae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.8%) and White (16.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mawae 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 Mawae surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander45.8% · 54
- Two or more races28.8% · 34
- White16.1% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mawae
Mawae 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Mawae 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mawae bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mawae
FAQ
Mawae surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mawae?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Mawae. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Mawae?
Mawae ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Mawae. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Mawae.
Has Mawae become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mawae went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Mawae?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mawae, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.8%) and White (16.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mawae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.8% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mawae appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (45.8%), Two or More Races (28.8%), White (16.1%). 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 Mawae (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 Mawae mean?
Possibly of Hawaiian origin meaning "journey" or "path". 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 Mawae (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 common is the surname Mawae?
Find out how many people have the surname Mawae on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.