2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Molay
A surname derived from the French place name of Molay in Burgundy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Molay. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molay 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Molay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molay
The surname Molay is of French origin, derived from the placename Molay, a small village in the Haute-Marne department of northeastern France. The name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, originating from the Latin word "mollis," meaning "soft" or "gentle," and potentially referring to the landscape or terrain of the area.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Molay can be traced back to the 13th century, when Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was born around 1244 in the village of Molay. De Molay's name appears in various historical documents and chronicles, including the records of the Templar trials held between 1307 and 1314, which ultimately led to the dissolution of the order and de Molay's execution in 1314.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Molay was Jean de Molay, a French nobleman and military commander who served under King Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century. He was born around 1390 and is mentioned in several accounts of the battles and sieges he participated in, such as the Siege of Orléans in 1428-1429.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the French Protestant Reformation, with Pierre de Molay being a prominent Huguenot minister and theologian who lived from around 1530 to 1594. He was involved in the religious conflicts of the time and is known for his writings and sermons advocating for Protestant beliefs.
Moving into the 17th century, François de Molay, born around 1620, was a French nobleman and military officer who served under Louis XIV. He participated in various military campaigns, including the Franco-Spanish War, and his name is mentioned in contemporary accounts and chronicles.
In the 18th century, Marie-Jeanne de Molay, born in 1738, was a French noblewoman and author who wrote several works on history and philosophy. Her name appears in literary circles and publications of the time, reflecting the intellectual pursuits of the French aristocracy during the Enlightenment period.
The surname Molay, while not among the most common in France, has left its mark on history through these notable individuals and their contributions in various fields, from military and religious affairs to literature and intellectual discourse.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molay
Among Census respondents with the surname Molay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Molay 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 Molay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 99
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Black or African American4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molay
Molay 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,324 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,324 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Molay 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molay bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Molay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molay?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Molay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Molay?
Molay ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Molay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Molay.
Has Molay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molay went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Molay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Molay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Black (4.3%). 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 Molay (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 Molay mean?
A surname derived from the French place name of Molay in Burgundy. 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 Molay (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 many Americans have the surname Molay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.