Find out how popular the last name Molan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Molan.
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic words "mhall àite", meaning "slow place" or "quiet dwelling".
Molan, 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 Molan surname is from the 2010 census data.
Molan is the 87335th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Molan surname appeared 213 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 Molan.
We can also compare 2010 data for Molan 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 87335 | 71610 | 19.79% |
| Count | 213 | 254 | -17.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.07 | 0.09 | -25.00% |
The surname Molan is believed to have originated in France, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "mole" or "molle," which referred to a small hill or mound of earth. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near or on a small hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Molan can be found in the archives of the town of Dijon in Burgundy, France, where a family by the name of Molan was mentioned in a document dated 1642. This document referenced a land transaction involving a member of the Molan family.
In the 18th century, there are records of a notable figure named Jean-Baptiste Molan (1718-1792), a French military engineer and author who wrote several treatises on fortification design and military tactics. His works were influential in shaping the development of military engineering during that era.
Another historically significant individual with the surname Molan was Antoine Molan (1800-1861), a French politician and lawyer who served as a member of the National Assembly during the French Second Republic in the mid-19th century.
Across the English Channel, the Molan surname also has a presence in the United Kingdom. One notable figure was Sir John Molan (1854-1925), a British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral and played a significant role in the Boxer Rebellion in China in the early 20th century.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the Molan surname was Jacques Molan (1790-1867), a French immigrant who settled in Louisiana in the early 19th century and became a prominent sugar plantation owner and businessman.
While the surname Molan is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and continents, with individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, including military engineering, politics, law, and business.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Molan.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Molan was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 88.26% | 188 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 5.63% | 12 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 4.69% | 10 |
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 Molan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.26% | 85.83% | 2.79% |
| Black | 5.63% | 5.91% | -4.85% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 4.69% | 4.33% | 7.98% |
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 Molan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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