2000
#11,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Mosteller
An occupational surname for a wine-taster or an inspector of wine and ale casks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,655 Americans carry the last name Mosteller. That puts it at #12,731 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mosteller 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
2.7K
1 in 129,098
Census rank
#12,731
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,315 bearers of the surname Mosteller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12731st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mosteller
The surname Mosteller is believed to have originated in the region of Germany, specifically in the area around the city of Munich. The name is thought to have derived from the German word "Mostell," which refers to a place where apples were pressed to make cider or vinegar.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, where a reference to a "Heinrich Mosteller" was found in a manuscript from a Bavarian monastery. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a family or individual involved in the production or sale of apple cider or vinegar during that time period.
In the 16th century, records show that a family named Mosteller was living in the town of Oberammergau, located in the Bavarian Alps. This town was known for its passion plays, and it is possible that members of the Mosteller family may have been involved in these religious performances.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Mosteller was Johann Mosteller, born in 1624 in the village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, also located in the Bavarian Alps. Johann was a farmer and is believed to have been one of the first to cultivate the Bavarian Sweet Potato, a variety of potato that became a staple crop in the region.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Mosteller (1719-1798) was a prominent theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen in Germany. He was known for his work on biblical exegesis and his contributions to the field of theology.
Another individual of note was Wilhelmina Mosteller (1785-1861), a German author and poet who wrote several collections of poetry and short stories. Her works were popular during the Romantic period and often focused on themes of nature and love.
During the 19th century, several families with the surname Mosteller emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and North America. This led to the name being more widely dispersed, with pockets of Mostellers appearing in countries like Austria, Switzerland, and the United States.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Mosteller was Frederick Mosteller (1916-2006), an American statistician and mathematician. He was a pioneer in the field of biostatistics and made significant contributions to the development of statistical methods in fields such as medicine, psychology, and education.
Overall, the surname Mosteller has a rich history rooted in the traditions and culture of Bavaria, Germany, dating back several centuries. While its exact origins may be somewhat obscure, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, theologians, authors, and renowned academics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mosteller
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mosteller 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 Mosteller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,101
- Two or more races3.4% · 78
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 56
- Black or African American2.1% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mosteller
Mosteller 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
#10,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,933
+357 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 405 places
2020
#12,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
-618 bearers (-21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,265 | 2,576 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,860 | 2,933 | 0.99 | +357 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 405 places |
| 2020 | #12,731 | 2,315 | 0.77 | -618 bearers (-21.1%) | Down 1,871 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 Mosteller 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 | #10,860 | #12,731 | -17.2% |
| Count | 2,933 | 2,315 | -21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.77 | -21.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mosteller bearers went from 2,933 to 2,315 (-21.1% change). The surname moved down 1,871 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,860 to #12,731.
FAQ
Mosteller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mosteller?
Name Census estimates that about 2,655 living Americans carry the surname Mosteller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,098 residents.
How common is Mosteller?
Mosteller ranks #12,731 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,315 people with the surname Mosteller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mosteller.
Has Mosteller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mosteller went from 2,933 recorded bearers to 2,315. That is a decrease of 618 (-21.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,860 to #12,731.
What does the Census say about the background of Mosteller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mosteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Mosteller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mosteller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Mosteller (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 Mosteller mean?
An occupational surname for a wine-taster or an inspector of wine and ale casks. 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 Mosteller (0.77 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 Mosteller?
See how many people have the surname Mosteller on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.