2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mockaitis
A surname of Lithuanian origin referring to one from the village of Mockaitai.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mockaitis. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mockaitis 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mockaitis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mockaitis, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mockaitis
The surname Mockaitis is of Lithuanian origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Lithuanian word "mockytis," which means "to learn" or "to study." The name is believed to have originated in the Samogitia region of western Lithuania, where education and scholarship were highly valued.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mockaitis can be found in the records of the Vilnius University, which was established in 1579. These records mention a student named Jonas Mockaitis, who attended the university in the late 16th century. It is likely that this student or his ancestors adopted the surname as a reflection of their commitment to learning and education.
In the 17th century, the name Mockaitis appeared in several historical documents, including land deeds and court records in the towns of Kretinga and Telšiai. These records suggest that the Mockaitis family had established themselves as landowners and prominent members of the local community.
During the 18th century, the Mockaitis name gained further recognition with the birth of Antanas Mockaitis (1717-1798), a renowned Lithuanian mathematician and astronomer. Antanas Mockaitis made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Another notable figure bearing the Mockaitis surname was Jurgis Mockaitis (1820-1892), a Lithuanian poet and playwright. Jurgis Mockaitis is best known for his plays that explored themes of Lithuanian culture and national identity, helping to preserve the country's literary heritage.
In the 19th century, the Mockaitis name continued to be associated with intellectual pursuits. Vincas Mockaitis (1853-1917) was a Lithuanian linguist and educator who played a crucial role in the development of the Lithuanian language and its standardization.
Other notable individuals with the surname Mockaitis include Antanas Mockaitis (1884-1945), a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Lithuania in the 1920s, and Juozas Mockaitis (1898-1963), a Lithuanian artist and painter known for his landscape paintings depicting the beauty of his homeland.
While the Mockaitis name has its roots in Lithuania, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Lithuanian communities. However, the historical records and accomplishments of individuals bearing this surname continue to be rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Lithuania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mockaitis
Among Census respondents with the surname Mockaitis, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Mockaitis 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 Mockaitis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 117
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mockaitis
Mockaitis 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,525 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,525 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 9,499 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 Mockaitis 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 | #153,769 | #144,270 | 6.2% |
| Count | 106 | 117 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mockaitis bearers went from 106 to 117 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 9,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mockaitis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mockaitis?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mockaitis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mockaitis?
Mockaitis ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mockaitis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mockaitis.
Has Mockaitis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mockaitis went from 106 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 11 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mockaitis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mockaitis, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Mockaitis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mockaitis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Mockaitis (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 Mockaitis mean?
A surname of Lithuanian origin referring to one from the village of Mockaitai. 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 Mockaitis (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 Americans have the surname Mockaitis?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.