2000
#3,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,478
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.14
Rare Last name
Molnar
An occupational surname of Hungarian origin referring to a miller or operator of a grain mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,411 Americans carry the last name Molnar. That puts it at #4,181 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molnar 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 Molnar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.4K
1 in 36,421
Census rank
#4,181
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,207 bearers of the surname Molnar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4181st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molnar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molnar
The surname Molnar originated in Hungary, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Hungarian word "molnár," which means "miller" or someone who operates a mill. This occupational surname likely arose when it became hereditary to distinguish families and establish lineages.
During the Middle Ages, the name Molnar appeared in various Hungarian records and manuscripts, often associated with individuals involved in the milling trade or residing near mills. One notable early reference is found in the Codex of Lelesz, a 14th-century compilation of legal documents, where a certain Molnar family is mentioned in connection with a land dispute.
In the 16th century, the name Molnar gained prominence with the birth of Gergely Molnar (1516-1601), a Hungarian Reformation leader and writer who played a crucial role in the translation of the Bible into Hungarian. His works and influence helped solidify the Molnar surname as a respected and recognized name within Hungarian society.
Another prominent figure bearing the Molnar surname was Ferenc Molnar (1878-1952), a renowned Hungarian playwright and novelist. His plays, such as "The Guardsman" and "Liliom," earned him international acclaim and were widely performed on stages across Europe and the United States.
In the realm of music, Antal Molnar (1890-1983) was a celebrated Hungarian composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the development of Hungarian folk music and classical compositions. His works, including operas and orchestral pieces, have been performed by prestigious ensembles worldwide.
The Molnar surname has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as Sandor Molnar (1936-1997), a Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist who made important contributions to the field of graph theory and combinatorics.
While the surname Molnar originated in Hungary, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural and historical traditions of Hungary, where it continues to be a prominent and respected name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molnar
Among Census respondents with the surname Molnar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Molnar 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 Molnar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 7,678
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 231
- Two or more races2.2% · 177
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 66
- Black or African American0.4% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molnar
Molnar 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
#4,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,586
+108 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 2.91
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#4,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,207
-379 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,848 | 8,478 | 3.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,131 | 8,586 | 2.91 | +108 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #4,181 | 8,207 | 2.75 | -379 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 50 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 Molnar 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 | #4,131 | #4,181 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,586 | 8,207 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.91 | 2.75 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molnar bearers went from 8,586 to 8,207 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,131 to #4,181.
FAQ
Molnar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molnar?
Name Census estimates that about 9,411 living Americans carry the surname Molnar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,421 residents.
How common is Molnar?
Molnar ranks #4,181 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,207 people with the surname Molnar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Molnar.
Has Molnar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molnar went from 8,586 recorded bearers to 8,207. That is a decrease of 379 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,131 to #4,181.
What does the Census say about the background of Molnar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molnar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Molnar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (7,678 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molnar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Molnar (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 Molnar mean?
An occupational surname of Hungarian origin referring to a miller or operator of a grain mill. 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 Molnar (2.75 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 have the last name Molnar?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Molnar is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.