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

Mosel, 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 Mosel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mosel in America

Mosel is the 41359th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mosel surname appeared 526 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 Mosel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mosel 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.

The history of the last name Mosel

The surname MOSEL originates from the German region of Mosel, which is named after the Moselle River. This name dates back to the medieval period, with the earliest records showing it as a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers hailed from the Mosel region or lived near the Moselle River.

The name MOSEL is derived from the Latin word "Mosella," which means "little Meuse," referring to the Moselle River's connection to the larger Meuse River system. The region has a long history dating back to Roman times, and the name MOSEL is believed to have been adopted during the Middle Ages, when locational surnames became more common.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MOSEL can be found in the Codex Laureshamensis, a medieval manuscript from the 8th century, which mentions a place called "Musilla" near the Moselle River. This suggests that the name may have been in use as early as the Carolingian period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname MOSEL. One of the earliest recorded was Johann Mosel (c. 1430-1505), a German painter and woodcarver from Cologne, known for his religious works. Another was Johann Mosel (1543-1615), a German composer and organist from Thuringia, who served as the court composer for the Duke of Saxony.

In the 19th century, Johann Mosel (1798-1871) was a German potter and ceramist from the Westerwald region, renowned for his contributions to the local pottery tradition. Later, Otto Mosel (1869-1953) was a German architect and urban planner, known for his work in Berlin and other German cities.

More recently, Walter Mosel (1923-1994) was a German-American writer and academic, who taught at several universities in the United States and wrote novels and short stories exploring the experiences of German immigrants.

While the surname MOSEL has its roots in the Moselle region, it has spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, with bearers found in various countries and regions around the world. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the locational connection to the iconic Moselle River valley.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mosel

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

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 Mosel was:

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 Mosel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Mosel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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