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

Motis, 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 Motis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Motis in America

Motis is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Motis surname appeared 139 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 Motis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Motis 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 Motis

The surname Motis is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Catalonia. The name likely derives from the Latin word "motes," which means "little hill" or "mound," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a small hill or elevated area.

Historically, the name Motis can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Catalonia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the city of Barcelona, dated around 1280, which mentions a person named Guillem Motis.

In the 14th century, the name Motis appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Catalan region, including the Llibre del Repartiment (Book of Distribution), which documented the distribution of land and properties after the Reconquista.

The town of Motis, located in the province of Castellón, may have derived its name from the surname Motis or vice versa. This town was first mentioned in a document from the year 1238, suggesting that the name Motis had already been established in the area before then.

One notable person with the surname Motis was Francesc Motis, a 15th-century Catalan painter who was active in the city of Valencia. His works can be found in various churches and museums in the region.

Another notable figure was Jaume Motis, a 16th-century Catalan scholar and philosopher who lived from 1520 to 1592. He wrote several treatises on logic and metaphysics, which were widely studied in universities across Europe.

In the 17th century, a prominent Motis family lived in the city of Barcelona. One member, Joan Motis (1621-1691), was a successful merchant and landowner who served as a city councilor.

The 18th century saw the rise of Josep Motis (1730-1801), a Catalan botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the region. He published several books on the subject and is considered one of the pioneers of Catalan botany.

Lastly, in the 19th century, Andreu Motis (1842-1912) was a Catalan architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in Barcelona and its surrounding areas.

While the surname Motis is not as common today as it once was in Catalonia, its history and origins can be traced back several centuries, with notable bearers of the name contributing to various fields throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Motis

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

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

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

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