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

Moss, 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 Moss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moss in America

Moss is the 423rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moss surname appeared 76,908 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 26 people would have the surname Moss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moss 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 Moss

The surname Moss is an English name that originated in the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word "mos" meaning a peat bog or marsh. It was likely first used as a topographical surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in a mossy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moss surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mos." This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various English records with different spellings, such as "Mosse," "Mose," and "Muss." These variations reflect the regional dialects and the evolving spelling conventions of the time.

The Moss surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is Thomas Moss (1553-1624), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Truro in 1597 and 1601.

Another prominent figure with the Moss surname was Robert Moss (1666-1729), an English physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Elizabeth Moss (1834-1911) was a British author and educator who wrote several works on literature and education, including "A Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities."

The Moss surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Moss Side in Manchester and Moss Pit Village in Staffordshire, further reinforcing its topographical origins.

One of the most famous individuals with the Moss surname in recent history is Jesse Moss (born 1973), an American documentary filmmaker known for his works "The Overnighters" (2014) and "Boys State" (2020), which received critical acclaim.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moss

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

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

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

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