2000
#3,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Monson
Son of Mon, a nickname for Simon, or a habitational name referring to various places named Monson.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,732 Americans carry the last name Monson. That puts it at #3,413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Monson 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 Monson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,215
Census rank
#3,413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,231 bearers of the surname Monson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Monson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Monson
Among Census respondents with the surname Monson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Monson 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 Monson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 9,001
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 506
- Black or African American3.2% · 331
- Two or more races2.7% · 276
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Monson
Monson 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
#3,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,425
+455 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.53
Rank movement Down 126 places
2020
#3,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,231
-194 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 3.42
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,298 | 9,970 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,424 | 10,425 | 3.53 | +455 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 126 places |
| 2020 | #3,413 | 10,231 | 3.42 | -194 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 11 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 Monson 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 | #3,424 | #3,413 | 0.3% |
| Count | 10,425 | 10,231 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.53 | 3.42 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Monson bearers went from 10,425 to 10,231 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,424 to #3,413.
FAQ
Monson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Monson?
Name Census estimates that about 11,732 living Americans carry the surname Monson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,215 residents.
How common is Monson?
Monson ranks #3,413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.42 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 10,231 people with the surname Monson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,732), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.42 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 Monson.
Has Monson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Monson went from 10,425 recorded bearers to 10,231. That is a decrease of 194 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,424 to #3,413.
What does the Census say about the background of Monson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Monson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Monson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (9,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Monson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (4.9%), Black (3.2%). 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 Monson (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 Monson mean?
Son of Mon, a nickname for Simon, or a habitational name referring to various places named Monson. 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 Monson (3.42 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 Monson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.