2000
#9,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Molinar
Derived from a place name referring to a mill or a person who worked in or owned a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,659 Americans carry the last name Molinar. That puts it at #9,708 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molinar 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
3.7K
1 in 93,674
Census rank
#9,708
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,191 bearers of the surname Molinar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9708th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molinar
The surname Molinar originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "molino," which means "mill." This suggests that the name's origins trace back to individuals who worked at or owned mills, likely for grinding grain or other materials.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Molinar can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in regions like Catalonia and Valencia. Variations in spelling, such as Molinari and Molinero, were also common during this time.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Juan Molinar, a prominent Spanish painter who lived in the 15th century (c. 1415-1485). He is known for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches and monasteries across Spain.
Another significant individual was Pedro Molinar, a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Molinar played a crucial role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.
In the 16th century, the Molinar family established itself as a prominent landowning dynasty in the region of Aragon. One member, Juana Molinar (c. 1520-1585), was a renowned patron of the arts and supported many artists and writers during the Spanish Renaissance.
Moving forward to the 17th century, Miguel Molinar (1628-1696) was a celebrated Spanish playwright and poet. His works, which often explored themes of love and honor, were widely performed in theaters across Spain and Latin America.
Another notable figure was Emilio Molinar (1784-1853), a Spanish military officer and politician who fought in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces. He later served as a member of the Spanish parliament and advocated for liberal reforms.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Molinar, which has its roots in the medieval Spanish tradition of mills and their importance in agricultural communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molinar
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Molinar 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 Molinar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.4% · 2,789
- White10.8% · 345
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- Two or more races0.5% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molinar
Molinar 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
#9,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,577
+513 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 607 places
2020
#9,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,191
-386 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,736 | 3,064 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,129 | 3,577 | 1.21 | +513 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 607 places |
| 2020 | #9,708 | 3,191 | 1.07 | -386 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 579 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 Molinar 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 | #9,129 | #9,708 | -6.3% |
| Count | 3,577 | 3,191 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.07 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molinar bearers went from 3,577 to 3,191 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 579 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,129 to #9,708.
FAQ
Molinar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molinar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,659 living Americans carry the surname Molinar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,674 residents.
How common is Molinar?
Molinar ranks #9,708 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,191 people with the surname Molinar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,659), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Molinar.
Has Molinar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molinar went from 3,577 recorded bearers to 3,191. That is a decrease of 386 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,129 to #9,708.
What does the Census say about the background of Molinar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (0.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Molinar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (2,789 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molinar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.4%), White (10.8%), Black (0.7%). 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 Molinar (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 Molinar mean?
Derived from a place name referring to a mill or a person who worked in or owned a mill. 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 Molinar (1.07 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 people have the surname Molinar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.