2000
#3,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,384
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Rare Last name
Mosier
One who lived near a peat bog or a marshy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,152 Americans carry the last name Mosier. That puts it at #4,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,451 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mosier 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
9.2K
1 in 37,451
Census rank
#4,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,981 bearers of the surname Mosier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mosier
The surname Mosier originated in France during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "mosier," which means "boundary keeper" or "boundary watchman." This occupation was significant during the Middle Ages, as landowners employed individuals to guard and maintain the boundaries of their properties.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mosier surname can be traced back to the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. The name was also found in various medieval records, such as the Cartulaire de Louviers, a collection of charters from the 12th century.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent several spelling variations, including Mosier, Mosière, Mossier, and Mossière. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling during that time period.
One notable individual bearing the Mosier surname was Jean Mosier, a French nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent landowner in the region of Normandy and is mentioned in several historical documents from that era.
Another significant figure was Étienne Mosier, born in 1492 in Brittany. He was a skilled cartographer and participated in several expeditions, contributing to the mapping and exploration of the New World.
During the 16th century, the Mosier surname appeared in records related to the French Huguenot diaspora. Many Huguenots fled religious persecution in France, settling in various parts of Europe and the Americas. This migration contributed to the spread of the Mosier name across different regions.
In England, the earliest known individual with the Mosier surname was William Mosier, born in 1578 in London. He was a merchant and is recorded in the parish registers of St. Giles Cripplegate.
Another noteworthy figure was Jacques Mosier, a French Protestant who fled to the Netherlands in the 17th century. He became a prominent figure in the Dutch East India Company and was involved in the establishment of several trading posts in Southeast Asia.
As the Mosier surname spread across Europe and eventually to the Americas, it became associated with various place names. For example, in France, there are villages and settlements named Mosierville and Mosières, which likely derived from the surname itself or from individuals bearing that name.
While the Mosier surname has its roots in France, it has since been adopted by families of various ethnic backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have occurred throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mosier
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mosier 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 Mosier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 7,243
- Two or more races3.9% · 314
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 248
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 65
- Black or African American0.8% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mosier
Mosier 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
#4,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,522
+138 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 268 places
2020
#4,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,981
-541 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Down 145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,889 | 8,384 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,157 | 8,522 | 2.89 | +138 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 268 places |
| 2020 | #4,302 | 7,981 | 2.67 | -541 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 145 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 Mosier 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 | #4,157 | #4,302 | -3.5% |
| Count | 8,522 | 7,981 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.67 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mosier bearers went from 8,522 to 7,981 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 145 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,157 to #4,302.
FAQ
Mosier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mosier?
Name Census estimates that about 9,152 living Americans carry the surname Mosier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,451 residents.
How common is Mosier?
Mosier ranks #4,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,981 people with the surname Mosier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,152), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mosier.
Has Mosier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mosier went from 8,522 recorded bearers to 7,981. That is a decrease of 541 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,157 to #4,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Mosier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Mosier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (7,243 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mosier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Mosier (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 Mosier mean?
One who lived near a peat bog or a marshy area. 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 Mosier (2.67 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 Mosier?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mosier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.