2000
#10,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Mooneyham
Derived from an Irish place name meaning "the abbot's bog," likely referring to land owned by a monastery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,920 Americans carry the last name Mooneyham. That puts it at #11,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,382 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mooneyham 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,382
Census rank
#11,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,546 bearers of the surname Mooneyham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooneyham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mooneyham
The surname Mooneyham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Moneyham or Monyngham, which was likely located in one of the southern counties of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Monyngham." This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 13th century.
The name Mooneyham is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "munec" or "munuc," meaning "monk," and "ham," meaning "homestead" or "village." This implies that the name may have originated from a settlement or homestead associated with monks or a monastic community.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Monyngham" and "Monyham," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era. One notable figure from this period was John Monyngham, who served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1310 to 1316.
As the centuries passed, the name continued to evolve, with different spellings emerging in various regions of England. In the 16th century, records show the name spelled as "Mooneham" and "Monyham," while in the 17th century, the spelling "Mooneyham" became more prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Mooneyham was William Mooneyham, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Mooneyham, a merchant and member of the East India Company, who lived in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name Mooneyham gained recognition through the accomplishments of John Mooneyham, a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Mary's Church in Marylebone.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many individuals with the surname Mooneyham migrated from rural areas to urban centers in search of employment. One such individual was George Mooneyham, a factory worker in Manchester, who played a pivotal role in advocating for workers' rights and better working conditions.
Throughout its long history, the surname Mooneyham has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, architects, and laborers. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, reflecting the rich tapestry of the country's history and the significance of locational surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mooneyham
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooneyham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mooneyham 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 Mooneyham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,324
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 96
- Two or more races3.7% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mooneyham
Mooneyham 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
#11,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,770
-24 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 851 places
2020
#11,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,546
-224 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 385 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,532 | 2,794 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,383 | 2,770 | 0.94 | -24 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 851 places |
| 2020 | #11,768 | 2,546 | 0.85 | -224 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 385 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 Mooneyham 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 | #11,383 | #11,768 | -3.4% |
| Count | 2,770 | 2,546 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.85 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mooneyham bearers went from 2,770 to 2,546 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 385 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,383 to #11,768.
FAQ
Mooneyham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mooneyham?
Name Census estimates that about 2,920 living Americans carry the surname Mooneyham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,382 residents.
How common is Mooneyham?
Mooneyham ranks #11,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,546 people with the surname Mooneyham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mooneyham.
Has Mooneyham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mooneyham went from 2,770 recorded bearers to 2,546. That is a decrease of 224 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,383 to #11,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Mooneyham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooneyham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mooneyham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mooneyham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mooneyham (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 Mooneyham mean?
Derived from an Irish place name meaning "the abbot's bog," likely referring to land owned by a monastery. 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 Mooneyham (0.85 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 Mooneyham?
See how many people have the surname Mooneyham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.