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

Moton, 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 Moton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moton in America

Moton is the 7977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moton surname appeared 4,144 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 Moton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moton 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 Moton

The surname Moton originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "mote," meaning a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have been used to identify someone who lived near a motte-and-bailey castle or on a small hill.

In the 12th century, the name Moton appears in various records and manuscripts across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Bertin, a collection of charters from the Abbey of Saint-Bertin in Saint-Omer, which mentions a "Robertus de Moton" in 1174.

The Moton surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have accompanied the Norman invaders during the conquest of England in 1066.

Over the centuries, the name Moton has undergone various spelling variations, such as Motten, Motton, and Mottone. These variations can often be traced to different regional dialects or scribal errors in historical records.

Notable individuals with the surname Moton include:

1. Jean Moton (c. 1470-1522), a French composer and singer during the Renaissance era.
2. Edmé Moton (1622-1693), a French churchman who served as the Bishop of Bayeux from 1676 until his death.
3. Clement Moton (c. 1590-1659), a French lawyer and writer who authored several works on legal matters.
4. Jacques Moton (1618-1693), a French Jesuit missionary who traveled to New France and worked with the Huron people.
5. Marie-Anne Moton (1737-1819), a French noblewoman and courtier who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette.

While the surname Moton may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since spread across various regions and countries, primarily through migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moton

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

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

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

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