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

Moi, 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 Moi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moi in America

Moi is the 56972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moi surname appeared 358 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 Moi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moi 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 Moi

The surname MOI is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest known use dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "moi," meaning "me" or "myself." This could suggest that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a particularly self-assured or egocentric personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Saint-Malo, a coastal town in the Brittany region of northwestern France, where a Jean Moi is listed as a resident in 1567. Another early reference is from the 1598 census records of Nantes, where a family with the surname Moi is documented.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of France, with records indicating individuals bearing the surname in regions such as Normandy and Île-de-France. For example, a Pierre Moi is listed as a merchant in the city of Rouen in 1623, while a Jean-Baptiste Moi is recorded as a landowner in the village of Villeneuve-sur-Bellot near Paris in 1678.

While the surname Moi is not particularly common, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Étienne Moi (1570-1644), a French theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Paris and wrote several influential works on religious philosophy.

Another significant figure was Jean-Baptiste Moi (1711-1783), a French military officer who served with distinction during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was awarded the Order of Saint Louis for his service.

In the 19th century, François Moi (1815-1892) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin and the Église Saint-Ambroise.

The 20th century saw two individuals with the surname Moi achieve international recognition. Henri Moi (1898-1976) was a French painter and sculptor who was part of the Cubist movement and is known for his abstract works. Additionally, Pierre Moi (1923-2005) was a renowned French film director and screenwriter, best known for his critically acclaimed films such as "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and "Last Year at Marienbad."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moi

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

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 Moi 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 Moi 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 Moi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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