2000
#14,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,893
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Mose
Derived from the biblical figure Moses, likely referring to a person who was saved from water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,168 Americans carry the last name Mose. That puts it at #15,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mose 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 Mose with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,097
Census rank
#15,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,891 bearers of the surname Mose in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mose, the largest self-reported group is Black at 41.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mose
The surname MOSE originated from Italy in the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "mose," which means "moss" or "mossy." This surname was likely given to someone who lived near a mossy area or worked with moss in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MOSE can be found in the historical records of the city of Venice, Italy, dating back to the late 1400s. During this time, the city of Venice was a major maritime power, and it is possible that the surname was associated with individuals involved in the shipping or maritime industries.
In the 16th century, the name MOSE appeared in various documents and records across Italy, particularly in the regions of Veneto and Lombardy. It is worth noting that the spelling of the surname may have varied slightly during this period, with variations such as "Mosi" or "Mosè" being common.
One notable individual with the surname MOSE was Giovanni Battista Mose, an Italian sculptor who lived from 1610 to 1680. He was renowned for his works in marble and is considered one of the most skilled sculptors of the Baroque period in Italy.
Another significant figure with the surname MOSE was Antonio Mose, an Italian architect who lived from 1715 to 1788. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Venice, including the Church of San Stae and the Palazzo Grimani.
In the 19th century, the surname MOSE was also found in other parts of Europe, particularly in France and Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Mose, a German musician and composer who lived from 1801 to 1867. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the romantic style in music.
Another individual of note with the surname MOSE was Luciano Mose, an Italian painter who lived from 1857 to 1924. He was a prominent figure in the Divisionist movement, a style of painting that emphasized the use of tiny brushstrokes of pure color to create a vibrant and luminous effect.
While the surname MOSE may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of Italy and serves as a reminder of the diverse and fascinating origins of many surnames found across the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mose
Among Census respondents with the surname Mose, the largest self-reported group is Black at 41.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mose 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 Mose surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American41.1% · 778
- White35.0% · 661
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.8% · 186
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.1% · 115
- Two or more races4.2% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mose
Mose 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
#14,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
+151 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 114 places
2020
#15,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,891
-153 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,457 | 1,893 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,571 | 2,044 | 0.69 | +151 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 114 places |
| 2020 | #15,001 | 1,891 | 0.63 | -153 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 430 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 Mose 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 | #14,571 | #15,001 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,044 | 1,891 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.63 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mose bearers went from 2,044 to 1,891 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 430 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,571 to #15,001.
FAQ
Mose surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mose?
Name Census estimates that about 2,168 living Americans carry the surname Mose. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,097 residents.
How common is Mose?
Mose ranks #15,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,891 people with the surname Mose. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,168), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Mose.
Has Mose become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mose went from 2,044 recorded bearers to 1,891. That is a decrease of 153 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,571 to #15,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Mose?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mose, the largest self-reported group is Black at 41.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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 Mose in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.1% (778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mose appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (41.1%), White (35.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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 Mose (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 Mose mean?
Derived from the biblical figure Moses, likely referring to a person who was saved from water. 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 Mose (0.63 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 Mose?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.