2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mooser
A surname derived from the German word for "marsh" or "swamp dweller."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Mooser. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mooser 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Mooser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mooser
The surname "MOOSER" is believed to have originated in Switzerland, specifically in the German-speaking regions of the country. Its origins can be traced back to the early Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the records of the town of Moos, located in the canton of St. Gallen. It is likely that the surname "MOOSER" derived from this place name, indicating that the family hailed from or resided near this particular town.
The word "Moos" in German means "marsh" or "bog," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to individuals who lived in or near marshy areas. It is also possible that the name was occupational in nature, referring to those who worked in such environments, perhaps as peat cutters or marshland farmers.
In the 13th century, a document from the Benedictine monastery of St. Gallen mentions a certain "Heinricus de Mose," which could be an early variant spelling of the surname "MOOSER." This record provides evidence of the name's existence and use during that period.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname "MOOSER" was Johannes Mooser, a Swiss clergyman and scholar who lived from 1395 to 1472. He served as the Abbot of the famous Benedictine monastery in Einsiedeln and was renowned for his expertise in canon law.
Another notable figure was Hans Mooser (1540-1612), a Swiss military leader who served as the commander-in-chief of the Swiss mercenary forces in the service of the King of France during the French Wars of Religion.
In the 17th century, the name "MOOSER" appeared in the records of the town of Chur, in the canton of Graubünden. A certain Johann Mooser (1621-1687) was a prominent merchant and member of the local town council.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Johann Rudolf Mooser (1720-1795), a Swiss theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Zurich. His writings on religious subjects were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 19th century, the name "MOOSER" gained further recognition with the Swiss painter and artist Jakob Mooser (1829-1895). He was known for his landscape paintings depicting the scenic beauty of the Swiss Alps and is considered one of the foremost Swiss artists of the Romantic era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mooser
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mooser 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 Mooser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mooser
Mooser 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,367 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 3,367 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,338 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 Mooser 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 | #142,108 | #149,446 | -5.2% |
| Count | 117 | 110 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mooser bearers went from 117 to 110 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #149,446.
FAQ
Mooser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mooser?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Mooser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Mooser?
Mooser ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Mooser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Mooser.
Has Mooser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mooser went from 117 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Mooser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mooser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mooser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mooser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mooser (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 Mooser mean?
A surname derived from the German word for "marsh" or "swamp dweller." 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 Mooser (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 have the last name Mooser?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mooser at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.