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

Mossa, 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 Mossa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mossa in America

Mossa is the 54055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mossa surname appeared 382 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 Mossa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mossa 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 Mossa

The surname Mossa originated in Italy and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "mossa," which means "motion" or "movement." The name was likely given as a nickname to someone who was known for their agility or restless nature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mossa can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval manuscripts from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, Italy. The document, dated around 1170, mentions a man named Petrus Mossa.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany and Lazio. There are records of a Gherardo Mossa, a nobleman from Florence, who lived in the late 1200s. Another notable figure was Guido Mossa, a jurist and legal scholar from Pisa, who wrote influential works on maritime law in the early 14th century.

During the Renaissance period, the Mossa family gained prominence in the city of Venice. One of the most distinguished members was Andrea Mossa (1480-1546), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in the Venetian style. His son, Jacopo Mossa (1515-1592), followed in his footsteps and became a celebrated painter and sculptor.

In the 16th century, the name Mossa was also found in the Kingdom of Naples. A notable figure from this region was Girolamo Mossa (1535-1612), a military engineer and architect who worked on fortifications and defensive structures throughout Southern Italy.

Another prominent figure with the surname Mossa was Niccolò Mossa (1751-1825), an Italian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Napoleonic parliament and helped draft the Napoleonic Code in the early 19th century.

While the Mossa surname is relatively uncommon outside of Italy, it has been carried by various individuals throughout history. Some other notable examples include Filippo Mossa (1888-1963), an Italian poet and literary critic, and Antonio Mossa (1919-2005), a renowned Italian architect known for his modernist designs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mossa

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

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

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

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