2000
#4,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Moen
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from a farmstead name, likely referring to a grassy meadow or moor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,966 Americans carry the last name Moen. That puts it at #4,393 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,228 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moen 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
9.0K
1 in 38,228
Census rank
#4,393
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,819 bearers of the surname Moen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4393rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moen
The surname Moen originates from Norway, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "mór," meaning "moor" or "marsh," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.
One of the earliest known records of the name Moen appears in the 1598 census of Telemark, Norway, where a farmer named Ole Moen is listed. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name Moen began to spread beyond Norway, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in Denmark and Sweden. This was likely due to migration and trade between the Scandinavian countries during that time period.
During the 19th century, as immigration from Scandinavia to North America increased, the surname Moen became more prevalent in the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this era was Hans Olaus Moen (1824-1896), a Norwegian immigrant who settled in Wisconsin and became a prominent farmer and community leader.
Another historical figure bearing the Moen surname was Olaf Moen (1865-1939), a Norwegian-American painter and illustrator known for his depictions of Scandinavian folklore and landscapes.
In the early 20th century, a family of Norwegian descent named Moen played a significant role in the plumbing industry. Adolph Moen (1885-1983) founded the Moen Incorporated company in 1937, which became a leading manufacturer of faucets and other plumbing products.
Sverre Moen (1894-1969) was a Norwegian explorer and writer who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions in the early-to-mid 20th century. His books and accounts of his travels contributed to the understanding of these remote areas.
Lastly, Knut Moen (1900-1982) was a Norwegian athlete who competed in the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the 4x100 meter relay event in 1928.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Moen, reflecting its Norwegian origins and the diverse fields in which bearers of this name have made their mark.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moen
Among Census respondents with the surname Moen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Moen 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 Moen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 7,236
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 237
- Two or more races2.9% · 228
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 77
- Black or African American0.3% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moen
Moen 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
#4,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,138
+243 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.76
Rank movement Down 213 places
2020
#4,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,819
-319 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,154 | 7,895 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,367 | 8,138 | 2.76 | +243 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 213 places |
| 2020 | #4,393 | 7,819 | 2.62 | -319 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 26 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 Moen 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 | #4,367 | #4,393 | -0.6% |
| Count | 8,138 | 7,819 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.76 | 2.62 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moen bearers went from 8,138 to 7,819 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,367 to #4,393.
FAQ
Moen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moen?
Name Census estimates that about 8,966 living Americans carry the surname Moen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,228 residents.
How common is Moen?
Moen ranks #4,393 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,819 people with the surname Moen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,966), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Moen.
Has Moen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moen went from 8,138 recorded bearers to 7,819. That is a decrease of 319 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,367 to #4,393.
What does the Census say about the background of Moen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moen, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (7,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moen (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 Moen mean?
A Norwegian habitational surname derived from a farmstead name, likely referring to a grassy meadow or moor. 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 Moen (2.62 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 Moen?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Moen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.