2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Moskala
A surname likely of Slavic origin meaning "little Russian" or a resident from Moscow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Moskala. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moskala 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Moskala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moskala, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moskala
The surname Moskala is believed to have originated in Poland, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Polish word "moskał," which was a derogatory term used to refer to Russians or Muscovites during the Polish-Russian conflicts of that era. The name likely arose as a descriptive nickname or a way to identify individuals who had ties to Russia or exhibited Russian characteristics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moskala surname can be found in the 16th-century Polish census records, where it appeared as "Moskal." This variation in spelling is not uncommon, as surnames were often fluid and subject to regional variations in pronunciation and transcription.
In the 17th century, the Moskala name was documented in the historical records of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Volhynia, which were heavily influenced by Polish culture and language at the time.
Notably, the Moskala surname gained prominence in the late 18th century with the birth of Wojciech Moskala (1760-1836), a Polish military officer who served in the Kościuszko Uprising against Russian forces. His bravery and leadership during this pivotal period in Polish history contributed to the significance of the Moskala name.
Another notable figure bearing the Moskala surname was Franciszek Moskala (1822-1897), a Polish priest and writer who published works on theology and philosophy. His contributions to Polish literature and religious thought further elevated the standing of the Moskala name.
In the 20th century, Jan Moskala (1914-1987) was a distinguished Polish writer and journalist who chronicled the experiences of Poles during World War II and the subsequent communist era. His memoir, "The Bitter Years," became a seminal work on the hardships faced by the Polish people during that turbulent period.
The Moskala surname can also be traced to various place names in Poland, such as the village of Moskale in the Lublin region, which may have served as a point of origin for some branches of the family.
While the Moskala name has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above underscore the rich heritage and significance of this surname within Polish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moskala
Among Census respondents with the surname Moskala, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Moskala 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 Moskala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moskala
Moskala 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 962 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 Moskala 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 | #152,628 | #153,590 | -0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 104 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moskala bearers went from 107 to 104 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 962 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #153,590.
FAQ
Moskala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moskala?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Moskala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Moskala?
Moskala ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Moskala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Moskala.
Has Moskala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moskala went from 107 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Moskala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moskala, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Moskala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moskala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Moskala (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 Moskala mean?
A surname likely of Slavic origin meaning "little Russian" or a resident from Moscow. 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 Moskala (0.03 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 share the surname Moskala?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.