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

Monson, 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 Monson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Monson in America

Monson is the 3424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Monson surname appeared 10,425 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Monson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Monson 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 Monson

The surname Monson has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "munuc" meaning "monk" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a monastery or a settlement associated with monks.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Monson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Willelmus de Moneketon is mentioned. This name is likely a precursor to the modern spelling of Monson, as place names often evolved over time due to regional dialects and scribal variations.

During the 13th century, the name appears to have been concentrated in the East Midlands region of England, particularly in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a William de Munketon holding lands in Nottinghamshire.

By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, and variations in spelling became more common. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a John de Monketon is listed in Yorkshire, while a Robert de Moncton is recorded in Northamptonshire.

One notable individual bearing the surname Monson was Sir William Monson (1569-1643), an English naval officer and politician who served as a Vice-Admiral during the reign of King James I. He wrote several works on naval affairs and is considered an important figure in the development of English naval strategy.

Another prominent Monson was Sir John Monson (1599-1683), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He initially supported the Parliamentarian cause but later switched sides and fought for King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the surname Monson gained further recognition with the rise of John Monson (1718-1808), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and was also Governor of Fort St. George in Madras, India.

The 19th century saw the birth of William John Monson (1825-1901), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for various teams, including Marylebone Cricket Club and Oxford University.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Edmund John Monson (1834-1909), a British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to France and later became the Ambassador to Austria-Hungary.

While the surname Monson has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Monson

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

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

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

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