2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Molandes
A surname derived from the Latin word "molendinum," meaning a mill or mill worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Molandes. 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 Molandes 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 Molandes 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 Molandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molandes
The surname Molandes has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Portugal and Spain. It traces back to the time of the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "mawlana," which means "our lord" or "our master."
During the Moorish rule, many Arabic names and words were adopted by the local population, and Molandes was likely one of them. The name may have been used as a descriptive term for someone who held a position of authority or was a respected member of the community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Molandes can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a nobleman named Pedro Molandes in a charter dated 1287, which granted him lands in the region of Algarve, Portugal.
In the 15th century, the name appears in a manuscript detailing the exploits of a Spanish explorer named Juan Molandes, who was part of an expedition to the Canary Islands in 1492. This expedition was led by Christopher Columbus, and Juan Molandes played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of the islands.
Another prominent figure with the surname Molandes was Diego Molandes, a Portuguese diplomat who lived in the 16th century. He served as an ambassador to the court of King Henry VIII of England and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between Portugal and England.
In the 17th century, the name Molandes can be found in church records from the city of Seville, Spain. One notable entry is the baptism of Juana Molandes in 1624, the daughter of a wealthy merchant family.
Throughout history, variations of the name Molandes have also been documented, such as Molandez, Molandés, and Molandiz. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the influence of different languages in the areas where the name was prevalent.
Some other notable individuals with the surname Molandes include:
1. Alonso Molandes (1534-1597), a Spanish poet and playwright known for his works in the Renaissance era.
2. María Molandes (1612-1681), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded a religious order in Seville.
3. Pedro Molandes de Aldana (1670-1742), a Portuguese military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession.
4. Beatriz Molandes Pereira (1778-1845), a Portuguese painter and artist renowned for her portraits of the nobility.
5. Juan Molandes y García (1825-1891), a Spanish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Madrid.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molandes
Among Census respondents with the surname Molandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Molandes 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 Molandes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.1% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino28.0% · 33
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molandes
Molandes 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
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+4 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,778 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-25 bearers (-17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 4,778 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-17.5%) | Down 22,610 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 Molandes 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 | #120,901 | #143,511 | -18.7% |
| Count | 143 | 118 | -17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molandes bearers went from 143 to 118 (-17.5% change). The surname moved down 22,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #143,511.
FAQ
Molandes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molandes?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Molandes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Molandes?
Molandes 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 Molandes. 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 Molandes.
Has Molandes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molandes went from 143 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 25 (-17.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,901 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Molandes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molandes, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Molandes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.1% (78 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molandes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.1%), Hispanic (28.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Molandes (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 Molandes mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "molendinum," meaning a mill or mill worker. 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 Molandes (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 Molandes?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Molandes at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.