Find out how popular the last name Missouri is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Missouri.

Missouri, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Missouri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Missouri in America

Missouri is the 44576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Missouri surname appeared 482 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Missouri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Missouri to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Missouri

The surname "Missouri" is derived from the state name "Missouri", which itself comes from the Siouan Native American tribe of the same name, meaning "people of the dugout canoes". The name was given to the Missouri River by the Illinois Native American tribe, and later the state was named after the river when it joined the United States in 1821.

As a surname, "Missouri" is relatively modern, having only come into use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It likely originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who was either born or resided in the state of Missouri. However, the name could also have been adopted as a descriptive surname, perhaps referring to someone who had connections to the Missouri River or the Native American tribes that inhabited the region.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname "Missouri" was John Missouri, who was born in 1865 in Missouri. He was a farmer and lived in the state for most of his life.

Another notable person with the surname "Missouri" was Mary Missouri, an author and activist who was born in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri. She wrote several books on Native American rights and was a prominent figure in the early 20th century Native American rights movement.

In the early 20th century, there was also a family of musicians known as the Missouri Brothers, who hailed from Kansas City, Missouri. They were known for their performances of traditional folk music and helped to preserve the musical heritage of the region.

William Missouri, born in 1912 in Springfield, Missouri, was a notable businessman and philanthropist. He founded a successful manufacturing company and later donated a significant portion of his wealth to various charitable organizations in the state.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was Elizabeth Missouri, a politician who served as a state representative in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1945 to 1957. She was known for her advocacy for education reform and was instrumental in passing several important pieces of legislation during her time in office.

While the surname "Missouri" is not among the most common surnames in the United States, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals over the years.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Missouri

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Missouri.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Missouri was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Missouri has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Missouri was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Missouri, please contact us.

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