2000
#7,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,088
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Moten
Derived from a place name meaning "from the town," likely referring to a family's historical residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,894 Americans carry the last name Moten. That puts it at #7,520 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,036 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moten 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
4.9K
1 in 70,036
Census rank
#7,520
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,268 bearers of the surname Moten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7520th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moten, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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During the 14th century, the name Moten appeared in various historical documents and records.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moten
Among Census respondents with the surname Moten, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Moten 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 Moten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.7% · 3,317
- Two or more races7.7% · 327
- White7.4% · 316
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 152
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moten
Moten 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
#7,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,734
+646 bearers (+15.8%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 441 places
2020
#7,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,268
-466 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 449 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,512 | 4,088 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,071 | 4,734 | 1.60 | +646 bearers (+15.8%) | Up 441 places |
| 2020 | #7,520 | 4,268 | 1.43 | -466 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 449 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 Moten 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 | #7,071 | #7,520 | -6.3% |
| Count | 4,734 | 4,268 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.43 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moten bearers went from 4,734 to 4,268 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 449 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,071 to #7,520.
FAQ
Moten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moten?
Name Census estimates that about 4,894 living Americans carry the surname Moten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,036 residents.
How common is Moten?
Moten ranks #7,520 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 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 4,268 people with the surname Moten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,894), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 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 Moten.
Has Moten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moten went from 4,734 recorded bearers to 4,268. That is a decrease of 466 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,071 to #7,520.
What does the Census say about the background of Moten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moten, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.7%) and White (7.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.7% (3,317 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.7%), Two or More Races (7.7%), White (7.4%). 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 Moten (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 Moten mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "from the town," likely referring to a family's historical residence. 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 Moten (1.43 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 Moten?
Want to know how common the surname Moten is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.