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

Mossman, 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 Mossman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mossman in America

Mossman is the 10245th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mossman surname appeared 3,146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mossman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mossman 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 Mossman

The surname Mossman originated in Scotland, deriving from a Scottish Gaelic word "mos" which means "moss" or "mossy place." This suggests that the name likely first arose as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a mossy or swampy area. It may have also been an occupational surname for someone who gathered moss or peat from mossy bogs.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Mossman is found in the records of Roxburghshire, Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. The name appeared in various spellings such as Mossman, Moseman, and Mosman, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

In the 17th century, the Mossman name appears in parish records in Ayrshire, Scotland. A notable example is John Mossman, born around 1620 in Kilwinning, Ayrshire. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the Mossman surname in that region for generations.

The Mossman surname also has connections to place names in Scotland. For instance, the village of Mossman in East Ayrshire likely derived its name from the same root word, indicating the presence of mossy or boggy terrain in that area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mossman surname outside of Scotland is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their holdings in England after the Norman Conquest. A landowner named Hugo Mosman is listed as holding lands in Oxfordshire.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the Mossman surname was James Mossman (1737-1824), a Scottish poet and minister from Arbroath, Angus. His works include "The Auld Toon o' Arbroath" and "The Cottar's Sunday," which provide insights into Scottish rural life and culture of that era.

Another notable Mossman was Thomas Mossman (1826-1885), a Scottish-born architect who emigrated to Australia. He designed several significant buildings in Melbourne, including the Fitzroy Town Hall and the former Melbourne Orphan Asylum.

In the 19th century, James Mossman (1820-1888) was a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the tea trade in London. He founded the Mossman Trust, which provided funding for educational and charitable causes in Scotland.

While the Mossman surname is most prevalent in Scotland and areas with Scottish immigration, it can also be found in other parts of the world. For example, Richard Mossman (1849-1919) was an American physician and writer from Wisconsin, known for his work in promoting public health and hygiene.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mossman

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

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

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

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