2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Moed
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "appointed time, season, or festival."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Moed. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moed 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Moed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moed, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moed
The surname Moed is of Dutch origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "moed," which means "courage" or "bravery." The name was likely given to individuals who displayed exceptional courage or bravery in battle or other circumstances.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Moed can be found in historical documents from the Netherlands, particularly in the regions of Friesland and Groningen. The name appears in various spellings, such as Moede, Moedt, and Moedts, reflecting the linguistic changes over time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Moed can be found in the "Oorkondenboek van Groningen en Drente," a collection of historical documents from the province of Groningen, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a person named Egbertus Moed is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1275.
In the 14th century, the name Moed gained prominence in the region of Friesland. The "Codex Traditionum Frisiae," a medieval manuscript containing records of land transactions and legal proceedings in Friesland, mentions several individuals with the surname Moed. One notable example is Syds Moed, who is recorded as a landowner in the village of Westergo in the year 1349.
During the Dutch Golden Age, the Moed family became influential in the city of Amsterdam. Pieter Moed (1592-1670) was a prominent merchant and member of the city council, known for his involvement in the Dutch East India Company. His son, Cornelis Moed (1624-1689), followed in his footsteps and served as a director of the Dutch West India Company.
Another notable figure with the surname Moed was Jan Moed (1748-1826), a Dutch painter and engraver who gained recognition for his landscapes and portraiture. His works can be found in various museums and private collections across the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, the name Moed gained international recognition through the life and work of Cornelis Moed (1826-1892), a Dutch engineer and inventor. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the first successful submarine, the Nautilus, which he designed and built in collaboration with the American engineer Ezra Leroy Cornell.
While the surname Moed is relatively uncommon outside of the Netherlands, it has been carried by individuals across different parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable figures associated with this surname, which has its roots in the Dutch language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moed
Among Census respondents with the surname Moed, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Moed 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 Moed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 11
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Black or African American3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moed
Moed 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-6 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,805 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-24 bearers (-19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 12,805 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.0%) | Down 20,892 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 Moed 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 | #133,863 | #154,755 | -15.6% |
| Count | 126 | 102 | -19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moed bearers went from 126 to 102 (-19.0% change). The surname moved down 20,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #154,755.
FAQ
Moed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moed?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Moed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Moed?
Moed ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Moed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Moed.
Has Moed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moed went from 126 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Moed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moed, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Moed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Hispanic (10.8%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Moed (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 Moed mean?
A surname of Hebrew origin meaning "appointed time, season, or festival." 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 Moed (0.03 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 Moed?
See how many people have the surname Moed on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.