2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Moshel
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "ruler" or "leader".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Moshel. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moshel 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Moshel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moshel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moshel
The surname MOSHEL is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word 'moschal', which translates to 'mushroom'. This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone who collected or sold mushrooms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MOSHEL can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. In the year 1183, a certain 'Henricus Moschal' is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
The MOSHEL surname also appears in the Breviarium Ecclesiae Verdensis, a medieval manuscript from the Bishopric of Verden in northern Germany. This document, compiled in the late 13th century, contains a record of a 'Johannes Moschel' who served as a canon at the cathedral.
During the 15th century, the name MOSHEL began to spread across various regions of Germany. In 1427, a 'Peter Moshel' is listed as a resident of the town of Erfurt in Thuringia. Meanwhile, in 1489, a 'Hans Moshel' is recorded as a citizen of the city of Nuremberg in Bavaria.
As the name MOSHEL became more widespread, it also underwent variations in spelling. In the 16th century, the variant 'Mösshel' emerged, particularly in the region of Hesse. One notable figure from this era was Balthasar Mösshel (1531-1601), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Lich.
Another significant individual was Johann Moshel (1597-1665), a German composer and organist who was born in the town of Pölzig, Saxony. His works, including various sacred compositions, were widely performed and published during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the MOSHEL surname continued to be present in various parts of Germany. One noteworthy individual was Gottfried Moshel (1720-1788), a prominent lawyer and legal scholar from the city of Leipzig in Saxony. He authored several influential treatises on civil law and judicial procedures.
As the centuries passed, the MOSHEL name also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by emigrants and travelers. However, its roots can be traced back to its origins in the German-speaking regions, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname related to the humble mushroom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moshel
Among Census respondents with the surname Moshel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Moshel 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 Moshel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moshel
Moshel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+15 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,460 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 12,460 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 Moshel 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 | #153,769 | #141,309 | 8.1% |
| Count | 106 | 121 | 14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moshel bearers went from 106 to 121 (+14.2% change). The surname moved up 12,460 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #141,309.
FAQ
Moshel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moshel?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Moshel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Moshel?
Moshel ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Moshel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Moshel.
Has Moshel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moshel went from 106 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 15 (+14.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Moshel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moshel, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moshel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moshel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Moshel (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 Moshel mean?
A surname derived from the Hebrew word meaning "ruler" or "leader". 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 Moshel (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 Americans have the surname Moshel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.