2000
#13,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,073
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Moctezuma
An Aztec surname referring to a ruler of Tenochtitlan, derived from the Nahuatl elements meaning "he frowns in anger."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,058 Americans carry the last name Moctezuma. That puts it at #8,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moctezuma 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
4.1K
1 in 84,464
Census rank
#8,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,539 bearers of the surname Moctezuma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moctezuma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moctezuma
The surname Moctezuma originates from Mexico and can be traced back to the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the name of the ninth tlatoani (ruler) of the Aztec Empire, Moctezuma II, who reigned from 1502 to 1520. The name itself is derived from the Nahuatl words "mōcuahuitl" meaning "angry lord" or "he who frowns like a lord", and "xōchitl" meaning "flower".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moctezuma can be found in the 16th-century codices and chronicles written by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, such as Hernán Cortés and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who documented their encounters with the Aztec ruler and his people.
The name Moctezuma gained prominence during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, when Moctezuma II was the ruler of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City). His interactions with Hernán Cortés and the subsequent fall of the Aztec Empire are well-documented in historical records.
Several other individuals throughout history have borne the surname Moctezuma, including Pedro Moctezuma, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador and son of Moctezuma II. Another notable figure was Juan Moctezuma, a 17th-century Indigenous leader who played a role in the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonial rule in New Mexico.
In more modern times, Moctezuma has been used as a place name, such as the city of Moctezuma, Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. It has also been the name of various educational institutions, including the Universidad Moctezuma in Mexico City.
Prominent individuals with the surname Moctezuma include:
1. Moctezuma II (c. 1466 - 1520), the ninth tlatoani (ruler) of the Aztec Empire.
2. Pedro Moctezuma (c. 1509 - c. 1570), a Spanish conquistador and son of Moctezuma II.
3. Juan Moctezuma (c. 1610 - c. 1680), an Indigenous leader and participant in the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonial rule in New Mexico.
4. Antonio Moctezuma Serrato (1872 - 1922), a Mexican politician and governor of the state of Oaxaca.
5. Alfonso Moctezuma (1902 - 1979), a Mexican historian and archaeologist known for his research on pre-Columbian civilizations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moctezuma
Among Census respondents with the surname Moctezuma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Moctezuma 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 Moctezuma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 3,352
- White4.4% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- Two or more races0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moctezuma
Moctezuma 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
#8,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,735
+1,662 bearers (+80.2%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 4,691 places
2020
#8,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,539
-196 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,466 | 2,073 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,775 | 3,735 | 1.27 | +1,662 bearers (+80.2%) | Up 4,691 places |
| 2020 | #8,883 | 3,539 | 1.18 | -196 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 108 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 Moctezuma 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 | #8,775 | #8,883 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,735 | 3,539 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.18 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moctezuma bearers went from 3,735 to 3,539 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,775 to #8,883.
FAQ
Moctezuma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moctezuma?
Name Census estimates that about 4,058 living Americans carry the surname Moctezuma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,464 residents.
How common is Moctezuma?
Moctezuma ranks #8,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,539 people with the surname Moctezuma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Moctezuma.
Has Moctezuma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moctezuma went from 3,735 recorded bearers to 3,539. That is a decrease of 196 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,775 to #8,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Moctezuma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moctezuma, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moctezuma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (3,352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moctezuma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Moctezuma (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 Moctezuma mean?
An Aztec surname referring to a ruler of Tenochtitlan, derived from the Nahuatl elements meaning "he frowns in anger." 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 Moctezuma (1.18 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 have the last name Moctezuma?
See how many people have the surname Moctezuma on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.