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

Mole, 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 Mole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mole in America

Mole is the 19398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mole surname appeared 1,393 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 Mole.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mole 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 Mole

The surname Mole originated in England, where it first appeared in records during the late 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mol," which means a small burrowing animal, or a mole. It may have been used as a nickname for someone with a dark complexion or a mole on their skin.

Early records of the name Mole can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is that of Robert le Mole, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.

The name Mole was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devon in the southwest of England. Variations of the spelling included Molle, Moull, and Moul. Some early bearers of the name were associated with places like Mole's Green in Hertfordshire and Mole Valley in Surrey.

Notable individuals with the surname Mole include Sir Thomas Mole (1598-1672), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1655. John Mole (1743-1805) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Surgeons' Hall.

Another prominent figure was Robert Mole (1590-1662), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. He was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause and played a role in the trial and execution of King Charles I.

In the 19th century, Sir Frederic Mole (1859-1934) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of the territories of British Somaliland and British Honduras (now Belize). He was also involved in the negotiations leading to the formation of the League of Nations after World War I.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States was that of John Mole, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Over time, the surname Mole became more widely distributed across various regions of the country, with concentrations in areas like New England and the Midwest.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mole

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

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

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

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