2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Motlow
A locational surname derived from a place named Motlow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Motlow. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Motlow 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Motlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Motlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.6%) and Black (12.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Motlow
The surname Motlow has its origins in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a location called "Motlow" or a similar spelling variation. The name may have originated from Old English words meaning "moot hill" or "meeting hill," suggesting it was a place where local gatherings or assemblies were held.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Motlow surname can be found in the parish records of Staffordshire, England, in the late 1500s. A baptismal record from 1592 mentions a John Motlow, whose family likely resided in or near the Motlow area at that time.
In the 17th century, the Motlow surname appeared in various historical records, including court documents and land deeds. One notable mention is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wigan, Lancashire, from the year 1639, which references a Richard Motlow as a landowner in the region.
By the 18th century, the Motlow name had spread to different parts of England, with records showing families bearing the surname in counties such as Derbyshire, Warwickshire, and Lincolnshire. One prominent individual from this era was William Motlow (1716-1791), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Warwickshire, who left a significant estate upon his passing.
As the centuries progressed, the Motlow surname continued to be carried by individuals across various professions and walks of life. Notable examples include John Motlow (1799-1873), a respected lawyer and judge from Tennessee, USA, and Sarah Motlow (1829-1909), a philanthropist and advocate for women's education in Nashville, Tennessee.
Another individual of historical significance was Robert Motlow (1856-1937), a successful businessman and entrepreneur from Tennessee, who founded the Motlow State Community College, which bears his name to this day. The college, established in 1969, continues to honor his legacy by providing educational opportunities to students in the region.
While the Motlow surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its rich history and enduring presence across generations serve as a testament to its resilience and the contributions of those who have carried this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Motlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Motlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.6%) and Black (12.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Motlow 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 Motlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.7% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native17.6% · 19
- Black or African American12.0% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Motlow
Motlow 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,066 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-18 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,066 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 17,072 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 Motlow 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 | #133,863 | #150,935 | -12.8% |
| Count | 126 | 108 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Motlow bearers went from 126 to 108 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 17,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #150,935.
FAQ
Motlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Motlow?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Motlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Motlow?
Motlow ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Motlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Motlow.
Has Motlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Motlow went from 126 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Motlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Motlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.6%) and Black (12.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Motlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.7% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Motlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (17.6%), Black (12.0%). 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 Motlow (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 Motlow mean?
A locational surname derived from a place named Motlow. 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 Motlow (0.04 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 many people share the surname Motlow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.