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

Molis, 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 Molis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molis in America

Molis is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molis surname appeared 245 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 Molis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molis 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 Molis

The surname Molis is believed to have originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "mollis," meaning "soft" or "gentle." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a mild or gentle demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 13th-century document from the region of Tuscany, where a certain Guglielmo Molis was mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already established itself in the area by that time.

Another notable early reference comes from the 14th century, when a Giovanni Molis was listed as a merchant in the city of Genoa. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Italy and was associated with various professions and social standings.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the town of Molfetta, located in the southern region of Puglia. It is possible that the name Molis may have derived from or been influenced by this place name, which itself comes from the Latin word "mollis."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Molis was Gabriele Molis, a renowned painter born in Naples in 1548. He was known for his religious works and contributed to the artistic legacy of the Italian Renaissance.

Another notable bearer of the name was Gian Battista Molis, a 17th-century Italian architect and engineer. He was born in Genoa in 1631 and is credited with designing several important buildings and fortifications in his homeland.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with Domenico Molis, a Neapolitan composer and violinist. Born in 1738, he was celebrated for his contributions to the development of the Neapolitan school of violin playing.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Giovanni Molis, an Italian politician and lawyer. Born in 1825 in Piedmont, he played a significant role in the unification of Italy and served as a member of the Italian Parliament.

Lastly, in the 20th century, one of the most notable figures with the surname Molis was Vincenzo Molis, an Italian actor and film director. Born in 1912 in Rome, he appeared in numerous classic Italian films and directed several successful productions during the height of Italian cinema.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molis

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

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

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

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