2000
#8,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,551
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Moose
An English surname derived from the Old English mos, referring to someone who lived near a peat bog.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,726 Americans carry the last name Moose. That puts it at #9,570 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,990 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moose 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 Moose with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,990
Census rank
#9,570
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,249 bearers of the surname Moose in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9570th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moose, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moose
The surname "MOOSE" is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "mos" or "musse," which meant a small rodent-like creature, specifically referring to a small variety of mouse. This surname first emerged in the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in areas where Old English dialects were spoken.
In the early medieval period, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or similarities to animals. It is believed that the surname "MOOSE" was initially given as a nickname to individuals who were small in stature or displayed mouse-like behavior, such as being quiet or stealthy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "MOOSE" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, where a person named Roger Musse is mentioned. This surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, which lists a Thomas Mus.
During the 14th century, the surname "MOOSE" evolved into various spellings, including "Mous," "Mousse," and "Muse." These variations can be found in historical documents such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Mous is recorded.
Notable individuals with the surname "MOOSE" throughout history include:
1. William Mowse (c. 1520 - 1588), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
2. Thomas Mosse (c. 1608 - 1668), an English composer and organist who worked at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford.
3. Robert Moosse (1662 - 1737), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the War of the Spanish Succession.
4. Mary Moose (1789 - 1864), an English author and poet who published several works in the early 19th century.
5. Edmund Moose (1864 - 1942), a British explorer and surveyor who mapped various regions in Africa and Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname "MOOSE" may have originated from a humble association with small rodents, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moose
Among Census respondents with the surname Moose, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Moose 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 Moose surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 2,805
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2% · 136
- Two or more races3.4% · 109
- Black or African American3.3% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moose
Moose 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
#9,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,459
-92 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 858 places
2020
#9,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,249
-210 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,541 | 3,551 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,399 | 3,459 | 1.17 | -92 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 858 places |
| 2020 | #9,570 | 3,249 | 1.09 | -210 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 171 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 Moose 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 | #9,399 | #9,570 | -1.8% |
| Count | 3,459 | 3,249 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.09 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moose bearers went from 3,459 to 3,249 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 171 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,399 to #9,570.
FAQ
Moose surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moose?
Name Census estimates that about 3,726 living Americans carry the surname Moose. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,990 residents.
How common is Moose?
Moose ranks #9,570 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,249 people with the surname Moose. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,726), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Moose.
Has Moose become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moose went from 3,459 recorded bearers to 3,249. That is a decrease of 210 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,399 to #9,570.
What does the Census say about the background of Moose?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moose, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Moose in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (2,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moose appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Moose (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 Moose mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English mos, referring to someone who lived near a peat bog. 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 Moose (1.09 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 common is the surname Moose?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Moose at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.