Mordhorst last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Mordhorst is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mordhorst.

Meaning of Mordhorst

A locational surname possibly meaning "forest on the peat bog."

Mordhorst, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mordhorst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mordhorst in America

Mordhorst is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mordhorst surname appeared 310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Mordhorst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mordhorst to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank64200634501.18%
Count3102945.30%
Proportion per 100k0.110.110.00%

The history of the last name Mordhorst

The surname Mordhorst is of German origin, having its roots in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German words "mort" and "horst," which roughly translate to "death" and "nest" or "thicket," respectively.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mordhorst can be found in a registry of landowners in the region of Mecklenburg, dated around 1450. This document mentions a certain Henrich Mordhorst, who owned a modest parcel of land near the town of Rostock. It is speculated that the name may have originated as a descriptor for an individual residing in a secluded or densely forested area, perhaps alluding to the treacherous nature of such a location.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Mordhorst was Hans Mordhorst, a respected artisan and goldsmith from the city of Hamburg. His work was highly sought after by wealthy merchants and nobility, and some of his creations can still be found in local museums and private collections.

The name Mordhorst also appears in historical records from the 17th century, when a family of the same name owned a modest estate in the region of Schleswig-Holstein. One of the most prominent members of this family was Friedrich Mordhorst, who served as a captain in the army of the Duchy of Holstein during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname Mordhorst was Karl Mordhorst, a renowned scholar and linguist from the city of Berlin. Born in 1818, he dedicated his life to the study of ancient languages and made significant contributions to the field of philology. His seminal work, "Comparative Grammar of the Germanic Languages," published in 1865, is still regarded as a valuable resource for linguistic researchers.

Another individual of note with the surname Mordhorst was Elise Mordhorst, a pioneering figure in the field of women's education. Born in 1842 in the town of Lübeck, she founded one of the first schools in Germany dedicated to providing higher education for young women. Her efforts paved the way for greater educational opportunities for women in the country.

While the name Mordhorst is not among the most common surnames in Germany today, it has a rich history and a fascinating linguistic and cultural heritage. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and it has been borne by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, from the arts and military to academia and education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mordhorst

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mordhorst.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mordhorst was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only90.97%282
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native1.94%6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.58%8
Hispanic Origin2.26%7

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mordhorst has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White90.97%92.86%-2.06%
Black(S)%2.04%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.94%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.58%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic2.26%2.72%-18.47%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mordhorst was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mordhorst, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.

Search
Search
Background shape