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

Molineux, 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 Molineux surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molineux in America

Molineux is the 94311th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molineux surname appeared 194 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 Molineux.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molineux 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 Molineux

The surname Molineux originated in France during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old French words "molin" meaning "mill" and "eau" meaning "water." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a watermill.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Normandy region of France. In the 11th century, the Molineux family held lands in the village of Moligneux, near Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf. The name appeared in various early documents, sometimes spelled as Moligneux or Molineus.

As the Molineux family spread across Europe, the name underwent various spelling variations. In England, it was often written as Molineux or Molyneux. The Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, contains several references to individuals with the name Molineux or similar variations.

One notable figure bearing the Molineux name was Richard Molyneux, a 14th-century English landowner and military commander. He fought in the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Lancashire for his service. Another prominent individual was Vivian Molyneux (c. 1599-1655), an English lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal matters.

In the 17th century, the Molineux family established themselves in various parts of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Sir Richard Molyneux (1594-1622) was a Member of Parliament and served as the Sheriff of Lancashire. His son, Sir Richard Molyneux (1619-1693), was a Royalist during the English Civil War and became the 1st Viscount Molyneux in 1689.

Another notable figure was Samuel Molyneux (1689-1728), a renowned English astronomer and natural philosopher. He made significant contributions to the study of optics and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1712.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Molineux name continued to be associated with various professions, including law, politics, and the military. For instance, William Molyneux (1656-1698) was an Irish philosopher and writer, best known for his work on optics and his correspondence with John Locke.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molineux

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

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

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

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