2000
#6,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,451
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Moorer
One who lived on a moor or in a fen, derived from the Old English "mor" meaning "marsh" or "fen."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,488 Americans carry the last name Moorer. That puts it at #6,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,455 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moorer 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
5.5K
1 in 62,455
Census rank
#6,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,786 bearers of the surname Moorer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moorer
The surname "MOORER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "mor," which means "marsh" or "fen." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a marsh or fen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MOORER can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Morera." This record suggests that the name was established in England by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name MOORER appeared in various forms, such as "Morere," "Moriere," and "Morier," reflecting the spelling variations common during that time. These variations indicate the name's connection to marshy or fen areas.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname MOORER. However, it does mention several place names with the root "mor," such as "Morleston" and "Morleye," which could have influenced the development of the surname.
One notable individual bearing the surname MOORER was Sir John Moorer (c. 1520-1580), an English soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. He was knighted in 1544 for his military service.
Another historical figure with the MOORER surname was Thomas Moorer (1620-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Great Duty of Self-Resignation to the Divine Will" (1660).
In the 18th century, Joseph Moorer (1742-1815) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted in 1805.
The surname MOORER also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Moorlinch in Somerset was formerly known as "Morling" or "Morlinch," which could be related to the surname's origins.
In the 19th century, John Moorer (1836-1901) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Moorer Mercantile Company in Atlanta, Georgia, which became one of the largest wholesale grocery businesses in the Southeast.
These examples illustrate the historical presence of the surname MOORER and its potential connections to marshlands, fens, and place names throughout England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moorer
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Moorer 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 Moorer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.2% · 3,407
- White21.0% · 1,005
- Two or more races4.5% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moorer
Moorer 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
#6,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,849
+398 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 28 places
2020
#6,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,786
-63 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,946 | 4,451 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,918 | 4,849 | 1.64 | +398 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 28 places |
| 2020 | #6,773 | 4,786 | 1.60 | -63 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 145 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 Moorer 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 | #6,918 | #6,773 | 2.1% |
| Count | 4,849 | 4,786 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.60 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moorer bearers went from 4,849 to 4,786 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 145 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,918 to #6,773.
FAQ
Moorer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moorer?
Name Census estimates that about 5,488 living Americans carry the surname Moorer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,455 residents.
How common is Moorer?
Moorer ranks #6,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,786 people with the surname Moorer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Moorer.
Has Moorer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moorer went from 4,849 recorded bearers to 4,786. That is a decrease of 63 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,918 to #6,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Moorer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moorer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (3,407 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moorer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (71.2%), White (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Moorer (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 Moorer mean?
One who lived on a moor or in a fen, derived from the Old English "mor" meaning "marsh" or "fen." 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 Moorer (1.60 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 Americans have the surname Moorer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.