2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mottesheard
A variant spelling of the English surname referring to someone who lived near a sheep pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Mottesheard. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mottesheard 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Mottesheard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mottesheard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mottesheard
The surname Mottesheard has its roots in the medieval English period, originating as a locational name from a place called Mottesheard or a similar spelling variation. This place name likely derived from Old English words meaning "moth" and "herd" or "hillside," suggesting the name's bearers hailed from a settlement characterized by a moth-infested hillside or elevated pasture.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mottesheard surname date back to the late 13th century. Records from Norfolk, England, mention a William de Mottesheard in 1275. Around the same time, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire recorded a Roger de Mottesherd in 1279. These early spellings showcase the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the Mottesheard name appears in various tax rolls and legal documents. Notably, a John de Moteshearde is listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, while a Thomas Mottesheard is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1384.
The surname's association with place names is further evidenced by references to locations like Mottishead and Mottisford, which share similar etymological roots. These place names likely represent the ancestral homelands of some Mottesheard families.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Mottesheard surname. Robert Mottesheard (c. 1450-1520) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the Tudor period. Another notable figure was William Mottesheard (1535-1602), a scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Windsor and was known for his religious writings.
During the English Civil War, Captain John Mottesheard (1610-1667) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and gained recognition for his bravery in several battles. In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Mottesheard (1725-1795) was a respected judge and legal scholar who served on the Court of King's Bench.
The Mottesheard name also appeared in the arts, with George Mottesheard (1780-1856) being a celebrated landscape painter whose works captured the English countryside's beauty.
While the Mottesheard surname may have originated from a specific location, its bearers have left their mark across various fields throughout history, showcasing the rich tapestry woven by this ancient English name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mottesheard
Among Census respondents with the surname Mottesheard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mottesheard 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 Mottesheard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 13
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mottesheard
Mottesheard 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,119 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-9 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,119 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 9,437 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 Mottesheard 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 | #139,228 | #148,665 | -6.8% |
| Count | 120 | 111 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mottesheard bearers went from 120 to 111 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 9,437 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #148,665.
FAQ
Mottesheard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mottesheard?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Mottesheard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Mottesheard?
Mottesheard ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Mottesheard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Mottesheard.
Has Mottesheard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mottesheard went from 120 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Mottesheard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mottesheard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Mottesheard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mottesheard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (11.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Mottesheard (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 Mottesheard mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname referring to someone who lived near a sheep pasture. 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 Mottesheard (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 Americans have the surname Mottesheard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.