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

Molitor, 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 Molitor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Molitor in America

Molitor is the 8822nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Molitor surname appeared 3,712 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Molitor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Molitor 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 Molitor

The surname Molitor originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word 'molitor', meaning 'miller' or 'one who operates a mill'. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked in mills, grinding grain into flour.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Molitor can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, which mentions a 'Henricus Molitor' in 1190. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Breviarium Ecclesiae Constantiensis from 1347, which lists a 'Conradus Molitor'.

During the Middle Ages, the Molitor surname was predominantly found in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where many mills were located along the rivers and streams. The town of Molitors, located in the district of Fulda in Hesse, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the Molitor family who lived there.

One notable individual with the surname Molitor was Johann Molitor, a German theologian and astrologer who lived from 1435 to 1508. He was a professor at the University of Trier and wrote several influential works on astrology and the interpretation of dreams.

Another famous Molitor was Eberhard Molitor, a German Renaissance painter and engraver who lived from around 1525 to 1585. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Germany.

In the 17th century, the Molitor family produced a notable member in the form of Johann Peter Molitor, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1622 to 1695. He served as a professor of law at the University of Mainz and wrote several important works on legal theory and practice.

The 18th century saw the birth of Johann Michael Molitor, a German composer and organist who lived from 1711 to 1785. He is best known for his organ compositions and his work as the court organist in Bamberg.

In more recent history, Gabriel Molitor, a French-German general who lived from 1770 to 1849, gained fame for his military service during the Napoleonic Wars. He fought in several major battles and was awarded the title of Count by Napoleon himself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Molitor

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

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

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

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