2000
#7,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Mote
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a moot or meeting place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,682 Americans carry the last name Mote. That puts it at #7,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mote 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mote with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,207
Census rank
#7,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,083 bearers of the surname Mote in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mote, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mote
The surname MOTE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mot," meaning a small particle or speck of dust, suggesting that it may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was perhaps untidy or unkempt.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mot" or "Motte." This significant historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames in England during that era.
The name MOTE has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Mote Hill in Kent, Mote Park in Maidstone, and Mote Green in Hertfordshire. These place names may have influenced the surname's evolution or provided a geographical context for its origins.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname MOTE throughout history is Sir William Mote (1553-1639), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Kent in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was John Mote (1711-1792), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Queen's College, Oxford.
In the literary realm, Benjamin Motte (1692-1738) was an English bookseller and publisher known for publishing the works of authors such as Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift. He played a significant role in the dissemination of literature during the 18th century.
The name MOTE has also been associated with military service. Major General Sir Andrew Mote (1766-1837) was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.
One cannot overlook the contribution of Mary Motte (1737-1815), an American Revolutionary War heroine known for her courage and resilience during the Siege of Fort Motte in South Carolina. Her actions earned her recognition as a patriot and an influential figure in the war's history.
These examples illustrate the historical significance and widespread presence of the surname MOTE across various fields and time periods, making it an intriguing subject for study and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mote
Among Census respondents with the surname Mote, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mote 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 Mote surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 3,447
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 181
- Black or African American3.5% · 144
- Two or more races3.4% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mote
Mote 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
#7,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,313
+152 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 310 places
2020
#7,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,083
-230 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,387 | 4,161 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,697 | 4,313 | 1.46 | +152 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 310 places |
| 2020 | #7,799 | 4,083 | 1.37 | -230 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 102 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 Mote 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 | #7,697 | #7,799 | -1.3% |
| Count | 4,313 | 4,083 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.37 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mote bearers went from 4,313 to 4,083 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,697 to #7,799.
FAQ
Mote surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mote?
Name Census estimates that about 4,682 living Americans carry the surname Mote. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,207 residents.
How common is Mote?
Mote ranks #7,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,083 people with the surname Mote. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,682), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Mote.
Has Mote become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mote went from 4,313 recorded bearers to 4,083. That is a decrease of 230 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,697 to #7,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Mote?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mote, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Mote in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (3,447 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mote appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Hispanic (4.4%), Black (3.5%). 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 Mote (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 Mote mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a moot or meeting place. 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 Mote (1.37 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 Mote?
Find out how many people have the last name Mote on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.