Motil last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Motil

A surname potentially derived from the Hebrew word "motil" meaning sprout or shoot.

Motil, 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 Motil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Motil in America

Motil is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Motil surname appeared 269 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Motil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Motil 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 72332 66274 8.74%
Count 269 279 -3.65%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.10 -10.53%

The history of the last name Motil

The surname MOTIL is of Indian origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the northern region of the country. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'motila,' which means 'pearled' or 'adorned with pearls.' This name was likely given to individuals who worked in the pearl trade or were associated with the crafting of pearl jewelry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a merchant ledger from the city of Surat, a prominent trading hub in the 16th century. The ledger mentions a Motil Das, a pearl merchant who conducted business with traders from various parts of the world. This historical reference suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in several tax records from the Mughal Empire, indicating that individuals with the surname MOTIL held positions of importance and wealth. One notable figure from this era was Motil Singh, a landowner and influential figure in the court of Emperor Aurangzeb, who lived from 1618 to 1707.

As the centuries passed, the name spread to other parts of India, with variations in spelling emerging, such as Motiyal and Motilal. In the 18th century, a renowned poet named Motil Nath Mukhuti, born in 1720, gained recognition for his literary works in the Assamese language.

During the British colonial period, the name MOTIL can be found in various administrative records and documents. One prominent individual was Motilal Nehru, a renowned lawyer and political leader who played a significant role in India's struggle for independence. He was born in 1861 and was the father of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister after independence.

Another notable figure was Motilal Vora, a freedom fighter and politician who lived from 1921 to 2020. He served as a member of the Indian Parliament and was a close associate of Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

While the surname MOTIL has its origins in India, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical roots and significance remain deeply intertwined with the rich cultural heritage of India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Motil

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

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 Motil was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 90.71% 244
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 6.69% 18
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 1.86% 5

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 Motil has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 90.71% 89.61% 1.22%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 6.69% 5.73% 15.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.86% 2.15% -14.46%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Motil last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/motil-surname-popularity/.

"Motil last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/motil-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 May, 2025

Motil last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/motil-surname-popularity/.

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