2000
#10,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Moles
Derived from the Middle English word "mole," referring to a burrowing mammal or a person who catches moles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,998 Americans carry the last name Moles. That puts it at #11,513 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moles 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Moles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,328
Census rank
#11,513
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,614 bearers of the surname Moles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11513th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moles, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moles
The surname Moles has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mol," meaning a mole, which was a small burrowing animal. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a molehill or had some association with moles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Moles can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a person named William Molle is mentioned. This likely represents an earlier spelling variation of the surname.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Moles name appeared in various records across England, particularly in the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Essex. Some notable examples include John Moles, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, and Richard Moles, recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1378.
The Moles surname has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Mole's Green in Hertfordshire and Molesey in Surrey. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or been named after individuals bearing the Moles name.
One notable figure in history with the surname Moles was Sir John Moles, a member of the English Parliament who served during the reign of King Edward III in the 14th century. He was born around 1310 and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against France.
Another prominent individual was Robert Moles, an English clergyman and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He was born around 1440 and became the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1491.
In the 16th century, Thomas Moles was a notable figure who served as the Mayor of Canterbury in 1561. He was involved in local governance and played a role in the city's affairs during the Tudor period.
During the 17th century, Edward Moles gained recognition as a prominent English mathematician and astronomer. He was born in 1616 and made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and navigation.
In the 18th century, John Moles was a respected English architect and surveyor. He was born in 1728 and was responsible for designing several notable buildings and structures in various parts of England.
Throughout its history, the Moles surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, clergy, academics, and government officials. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and family dispersal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moles
Among Census respondents with the surname Moles, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Moles 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 Moles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,378
- Two or more races3.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 92
- Black or African American0.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moles
Moles 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
#11,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,778
+37 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 659 places
2020
#11,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,614
-164 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,696 | 2,741 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,355 | 2,778 | 0.94 | +37 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 659 places |
| 2020 | #11,513 | 2,614 | 0.87 | -164 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 158 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 Moles 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 | #11,355 | #11,513 | -1.4% |
| Count | 2,778 | 2,614 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.87 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moles bearers went from 2,778 to 2,614 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,355 to #11,513.
FAQ
Moles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moles?
Name Census estimates that about 2,998 living Americans carry the surname Moles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,328 residents.
How common is Moles?
Moles ranks #11,513 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,614 people with the surname Moles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,998), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Moles.
Has Moles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moles went from 2,778 recorded bearers to 2,614. That is a decrease of 164 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,355 to #11,513.
What does the Census say about the background of Moles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moles, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Moles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,378 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Moles (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 Moles mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "mole," referring to a burrowing mammal or a person who catches moles. 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 Moles (0.87 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 Moles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.