2000
#84,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Mossner
A surname derived from a German occupational name for a moss gatherer or peat cutter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 222 Americans carry the last name Mossner. That puts it at #99,694 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,543,938 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mossner 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
222
1 in 1,543,938
Census rank
#99,694
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
194
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 194 bearers of the surname Mossner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 99694th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mossner
The surname Mossner is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions of southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and parts of modern-day Austria.
One theory suggests that the name Mossner is derived from the German word "Moos," meaning "moss," and the suffix "-ner," indicating a person's occupation or place of origin. This connection implies that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with mossy areas, such as foresters, woodsmen, or residents of regions abundant in moss.
Another possible origin traces the name Mossner to the Old German word "mosen," which means "to graze" or "to pasture." In this context, the name could have been given to individuals involved in livestock grazing or those residing near pastureland.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mossner name can be found in various medieval documents and records. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of charters and documents from the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, dating back to the 13th century.
In the 14th century, a certain Hainrich Mossner was mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg, indicating the presence of this surname in urban centers at that time. During the same period, the name Mossner appeared in the tax records of the town of Bamberg, suggesting that members of this family held a certain level of prominence in the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Mossner surname. Johann Andreas Mossner (1700-1774) was a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics. Another prominent figure was Karl Mossner (1826-1901), a German architect renowned for his work on various churches and public buildings in Bavaria.
In the literary realm, Ernst Mossner (1904-1987) was a distinguished scholar and biographer who authored acclaimed works on the lives of writers such as Samuel Johnson and David Hume. His comprehensive study on Johnson's life and works remains a seminal text in the field of literary biography.
Wilhelm Mossner (1871-1943) was a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, representing the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Gerhard Mossner (1894-1956) was a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, ultimately achieving the rank of Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) in the Wehrmacht.
These examples demonstrate the widespread presence of the Mossner surname across various fields and periods, reflecting the rich history and diversity associated with this Germanic name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mossner
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mossner 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 Mossner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 184
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 5
- Two or more races2.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mossner
Mossner 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
#102,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
-31 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 17,887 places
2020
#99,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
+18 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 2,503 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,310 | 207 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,197 | 176 | 0.06 | -31 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 17,887 places |
| 2020 | #99,694 | 194 | 0.06 | +18 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 2,503 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 Mossner 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 | #102,197 | #99,694 | 2.4% |
| Count | 176 | 194 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mossner bearers went from 176 to 194 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 2,503 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,197 to #99,694.
FAQ
Mossner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mossner?
Name Census estimates that about 222 living Americans carry the surname Mossner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,543,938 residents.
How common is Mossner?
Mossner ranks #99,694 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 194 people with the surname Mossner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (222), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Mossner.
Has Mossner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mossner went from 176 recorded bearers to 194. That is an increase of 18 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #102,197 to #99,694.
What does the Census say about the background of Mossner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mossner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mossner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mossner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mossner (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 Mossner mean?
A surname derived from a German occupational name for a moss gatherer or peat cutter. 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 Mossner (0.06 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 common is the surname Mossner?
Find out how many people are called Mossner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.