2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mooningham
A locative surname likely derived from a place name containing the elements "moon" and "ingham," meaning a dwelling or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Mooningham. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mooningham 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Mooningham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mooningham
The surname Mooningham has its roots in England, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "mun" meaning moon and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting that the name's bearers may have hailed from a settlement named after the moon or located near a prominent lunar landmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mooningham name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Willelmus de Moningaham is listed as a landowner in Lincolnshire. This entry indicates that the name had already established itself in the region by the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, variations of the name's spelling emerged, such as Monyngham, Monyngeham, and Moningeham, reflecting the fluidity of language and record-keeping practices of the time. These variations often corresponded to different regions or villages where branches of the Mooningham family had settled.
In the 14th century, the Mooningham name appears in the records of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London. A merchant named John Mooningham is listed as a member in 1372, indicating the family's involvement in the lucrative cloth trade.
During the Tudor period, a notable figure bearing the Mooningham name was Sir Thomas Mooningham (1490-1558), a prominent landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire. He played a key role in the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII.
Another historical figure of note was Elizabeth Mooningham (1625-1702), a renowned botanist and herbalist who authored several influential works on medicinal plants and their cultivation. Her contributions to the field of botany earned her recognition among the scientific community of her time.
In the 18th century, Admiral William Mooningham (1720-1799) distinguished himself as a capable naval commander during the American Revolutionary War. His exploits and leadership at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781 were instrumental in securing British victory.
The Mooningham surname also has ties to the village of Mooningham in Northamptonshire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the family name. Records from the 16th century mention landed gentry families bearing the Mooningham name residing in the area.
Throughout its long history, the Mooningham name has been associated with various professions and social strata, from merchants and landowners to politicians and military figures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mooningham
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mooningham 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 Mooningham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 106
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mooningham
Mooningham 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,398 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,398 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,722 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 Mooningham 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 | #137,327 | #142,049 | -3.4% |
| Count | 122 | 120 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mooningham bearers went from 122 to 120 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,049.
FAQ
Mooningham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mooningham?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Mooningham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Mooningham?
Mooningham ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Mooningham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Mooningham.
Has Mooningham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mooningham went from 122 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Mooningham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Mooningham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mooningham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Mooningham (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 Mooningham mean?
A locative surname likely derived from a place name containing the elements "moon" and "ingham," meaning a dwelling or village. 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 Mooningham (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 Mooningham?
Find out how many people are called Mooningham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.