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

Moten, 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 Moten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moten in America

Moten is the 7071st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moten surname appeared 4,734 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Moten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moten 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 Moten

The surname Moten has its origins in the United Kingdom, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mot," which means "meeting" or "assembly." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a gathering place or meeting site.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Moten can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Mottene" and "Motene," indicating its evolving nature over time.

In the 13th century, records show instances of the name being associated with certain locations, such as the village of Mottenden in Kent, England. This village name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mot" and "denu," meaning "meeting valley" or "assembly valley." It is possible that the surname Moten may have originated from individuals who hailed from or were associated with this particular area.

During the 14th century, the name Moten appeared in various historical documents and records. One notable example is John Moten, a landowner and influential figure in the county of Essex, England, who was born around 1330. Another individual bearing the name was William Moten, a cleric and scholar who lived in the late 1300s and served as a chaplain at the University of Oxford.

In the 16th century, the Moten surname gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Moten (1530-1592), an English politician and member of Parliament who represented the borough of Maldon in Essex. His son, Sir Edward Moten (1565-1629), was a prominent lawyer and served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King James I.

Moving into the 17th century, the name Moten continued to appear in various records and documents. One notable figure was Robert Moten (1620-1689), an English colonial administrator who served as the governor of the British East India Company's settlement in Madras (now Chennai, India) from 1678 to 1681.

Another significant individual with the Moten surname was John Moten (1685-1753), an English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the early 18th century. His extensive collection of plant specimens and detailed observations were instrumental in advancing botanical knowledge during that period.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Moten has a rich history that spans centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, politicians, scholars, administrators, and naturalists. The name's evolution and longevity serve as a testament to its enduring presence in the annals of British history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moten

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!