2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mossett
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the element "moss".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Mossett. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mossett 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Mossett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (14.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mossett
The surname Mossett is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that may have referred to a mossy or marshy area.
One theory suggests that the name Mossett is derived from the Old English words "mos" and "set," which translate to "moss" and "dwelling" or "settlement," respectively. This would indicate that the name originated from a place where people settled near a mossy or marshy area.
Another possibility is that the name is a variant of the surname "Mosset," which is believed to have originated from the village of Mossett in Yorkshire, England. This village name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mos" and "sæte," meaning "moss" and "seat" or "dwelling place."
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, there are records of the surname Mossett appearing in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards. One notable reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which mention a John de Mossett.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Mossett was William Mossett, who was born in the village of Mossett, Yorkshire, in the late 14th century. Another early bearer of the name was Robert Mossett, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1428.
In the 16th century, there are records of a family named Mossett residing in the village of Gisburn, Yorkshire. One member of this family, Thomas Mossett (c. 1520 - 1590), is noted for his involvement in the local wool trade.
During the 17th century, the name Mossett appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals with this surname living in counties such as Lancashire and Derbyshire. One notable individual from this period was John Mossett (1638 - 1705), a prominent merchant and landowner from Derbyshire.
Another significant figure associated with the surname Mossett was Sir William Mossett (1725 - 1797), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for his role in the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781, where he commanded a squadron of ships.
While the surname Mossett is not among the most common in England today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period and is deeply rooted in the country's geographical and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mossett
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (14.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mossett 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 Mossett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.3% · 52
- White30.0% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native14.2% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mossett
Mossett 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,193 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,456 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,193 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,456 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 Mossett 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 | #135,593 | #142,049 | -4.8% |
| Count | 124 | 120 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mossett bearers went from 124 to 120 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,456 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #142,049.
FAQ
Mossett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mossett?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Mossett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Mossett?
Mossett ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Mossett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Mossett.
Has Mossett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mossett went from 124 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Mossett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (30.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (14.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mossett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.3% (52 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mossett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.3%), White (30.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (14.2%). 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 Mossett (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 Mossett mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the element "moss". 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 Mossett (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 people have the last name Mossett?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Mossett, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.