2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Moiles
A surname derived from a French place name, possibly related to Moulins or Moulin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Moiles. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moiles 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Moiles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moiles
The surname MOILES is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "moille," which means "wet" or "damp." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near a body of water or in a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MOILES surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated around 1195. These rolls were financial records kept by the English government, listing taxpayers and their respective payments. The entry "Willelmus Moiles" appears in these rolls, indicating that a person with this surname was living in Gloucestershire at that time.
In the 13th century, the MOILES surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, which were administrative records compiled for the English government. The entry "Robertus Moyles" is listed in these rolls, suggesting that the name had spread to different parts of the country by this point.
During the 14th century, the MOILES surname was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. These rolls were tax records, and the entry "Johannes Moyles" can be found among the listed taxpayers. This further demonstrates the presence of the MOILES surname in various regions of England.
One notable individual with the MOILES surname was Sir John Moiles, who lived in the late 15th century. He was a member of the English gentry and served as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1488. Records indicate that he owned land in the village of Kidderminster, which was part of the county of Worcestershire.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Moiles, who was born in 1562 in Oxfordshire. He was a prominent clergyman and scholar, serving as the Rector of Grendon Underwood in Buckinghamshire from 1602 until his death in 1630.
In the 17th century, a man named William Moiles gained recognition for his role in the English Civil War. He was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and served as a captain in the army of Oliver Cromwell. Moiles participated in several battles during the conflict, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
The MOILES surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For example, the village of Moyles Court in Hampshire is believed to have derived its name from the MOILES family, who may have owned land or resided in the area historically.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling were common in historical records, and the surname MOILES may have been spelled differently in different regions or time periods. Some alternate spellings include MOYLES, MOILE, and MOILE.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moiles
Among Census respondents with the surname Moiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Moiles 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 Moiles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moiles
Moiles 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+13 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,852 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-20 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 1,852 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 18,963 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 Moiles 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 | #124,548 | #143,511 | -15.2% |
| Count | 138 | 118 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moiles bearers went from 138 to 118 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 18,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #143,511.
FAQ
Moiles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moiles?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Moiles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Moiles?
Moiles ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Moiles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Moiles.
Has Moiles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moiles went from 138 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Moiles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moiles, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Moiles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moiles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Moiles (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 Moiles mean?
A surname derived from a French place name, possibly related to Moulins or Moulin. 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 Moiles (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 common is the surname Moiles?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Moiles at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.