2000
#4,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,844
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Moll
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of a personal name beginning with "Mold-".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,949 Americans carry the last name Moll. That puts it at #4,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,119 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moll 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 Moll with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,119
Census rank
#4,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,932 bearers of the surname Moll in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moll, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moll
The surname Moll has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "mol," which meant "mole" or "small hill." The name was likely originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Moll or similar spellings, such as Molle or Mol. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Moll was Richard Moll, who was born in Hertfordshire, England, around 1220. He was a landowner and is mentioned in several historical documents from the mid-13th century.
In the 14th century, there are records of a John Moll from Oxfordshire, who was a prominent merchant and served as a member of the local council. His son, William Moll (c. 1380-1452), was a respected lawyer and held various positions in the local government.
During the 16th century, the surname Moll appeared in various parts of England, with some families settling in areas such as Gloucestershire and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was John Moll (c. 1525-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire.
In the 17th century, the Moll surname was also found in parts of Scotland and Ireland, likely due to migration and intermarriage between families. One notable figure from this time was Robert Moll (1642-1718), a Scottish mathematician and cartographer who published several influential maps and atlases.
Another significant individual with the surname Moll was Herman Moll (c. 1654-1732), a Dutch cartographer and engraver who worked in London. He produced numerous maps and atlases, including the famous "Moll's Atlas" published in the early 18th century.
Over time, the surname Moll also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its roots can be traced back to the Old English word "mol" and the early medieval period in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moll
Among Census respondents with the surname Moll, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Moll 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 Moll surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 6,003
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 454
- Two or more races3.3% · 230
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 130
- Black or African American1.4% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moll
Moll 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
#4,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,131
+287 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 199 places
2020
#4,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,932
-199 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.32
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,739 | 6,844 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,938 | 7,131 | 2.42 | +287 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 199 places |
| 2020 | #4,925 | 6,932 | 2.32 | -199 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 13 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 Moll 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 | #4,938 | #4,925 | 0.3% |
| Count | 7,131 | 6,932 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.42 | 2.32 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moll bearers went from 7,131 to 6,932 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,938 to #4,925.
FAQ
Moll surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moll?
Name Census estimates that about 7,949 living Americans carry the surname Moll. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,119 residents.
How common is Moll?
Moll ranks #4,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,932 people with the surname Moll. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,949), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Moll.
Has Moll become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moll went from 7,131 recorded bearers to 6,932. That is a decrease of 199 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,938 to #4,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Moll?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moll, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Moll in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (6,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moll appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Moll (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 Moll mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of a personal name beginning with "Mold-". 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 Moll (2.32 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 share the surname Moll?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.