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

Motes, 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 Motes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Motes in America

Motes is the 9006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Motes surname appeared 3,631 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Motes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Motes 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 Motes

The surname Motes has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'mot', which means a small particle or speck. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with small particles or specks, perhaps in a trade or occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a John le Mote is mentioned. The use of the prefix 'le' suggests that the name was originally a descriptive nickname or occupational name.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with slightly different spellings, such as 'Motte', 'Mote', and 'Moote'. These variations were common during this time, as standardized spelling was not yet established.

The Motes surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Mote Hill in Kent and Mote Park in Maidstone. These locations may have been named after people with the Motes surname or vice versa.

One notable bearer of the Motes surname was Sir William Motes (c.1420-1492), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire during the Wars of the Roses. Another was John Motes (c.1540-1592), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Other historically significant individuals with the Motes surname include:

1. Thomas Motes (c.1660-1736), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several important buildings in London, including St. Paul's Cathedral.

2. Mary Motes (1725-1803), a British philanthropist and abolitionist who campaigned against the slave trade and founded several schools for underprivileged children.

3. Edward Motes (1801-1879), a British naturalist and explorer who documented numerous plant and animal species in South America.

4. William Motes (1839-1911), an American Civil War veteran and politician who served as the 14th Governor of Indiana from 1901 to 1905.

5. Alice Motes (1876-1962), an American author and women's rights advocate, best known for her novel "The Awakening" which explored themes of female identity and personal freedom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Motes

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

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

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

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