2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Molland
A locational surname denoting someone from an area known for molehills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Molland. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molland 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 Molland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Molland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molland, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Black (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molland
The surname Molland has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 11th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from one of several places called "Molland" in the English counties of Devon and Somerset. These place names are thought to have originated from the Old English words "mol" meaning "sandy hill" and "land" meaning "land" or "estate."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Molland appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, an invaluable record of landholdings and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a place called "Mollanda" in Devon, which is likely the source of the surname.
In the 13th century, historical records show the name being spelled in various forms such as "Mollonde," "Mollande," and "Molaund." These variations reflect the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time.
One notable bearer of the Molland surname was John Molland, a English clergyman who lived in the late 14th century and served as the Bishop of Chichester from 1368 to 1381. He played a role in the ongoing conflicts between the Church and the Crown during the reign of Edward III.
Another individual of note was Sir Thomas Molland, who was born in Somerset in the early 15th century (around 1420) and served as a member of the English Parliament representing the county of Somerset in the 1470s.
In the 16th century, a man named William Molland (born around 1525) was recorded as a landowner and yeoman farmer in the village of Molland in Devon. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the geographic locations it originated from.
Moving into the 17th century, there are records of a family named Molland residing in the village of Molland in Devon. One member of this family, Richard Molland (1630-1688), was a prominent local figure who served as the parish's church warden.
The 18th century saw the Molland name spread to other parts of England, with records showing bearers of the surname in counties such as Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Throughout its history, the Molland surname has maintained a strong presence in the English counties of Devon and Somerset, where it originated. While not a particularly widespread name, it has endured and continues to be carried by families with deep roots in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molland
Among Census respondents with the surname Molland, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Black (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Molland 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 Molland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 86
- Two or more races11.2% · 12
- Black or African American8.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molland
Molland 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-21 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,273 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 25,273 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,531 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 Molland 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 | #142,108 | #151,639 | -6.7% |
| Count | 117 | 107 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molland bearers went from 117 to 107 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,531 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #151,639.
FAQ
Molland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molland?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Molland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Molland?
Molland ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Molland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Molland.
Has Molland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molland went from 117 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Molland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molland, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Black (8.4%). 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 Molland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Two or More Races (11.2%), Black (8.4%). 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 Molland (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 Molland mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from an area known for molehills. 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 Molland (0.04 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 are called Molland?
Find out how many people are called Molland on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.