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

Motz, 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 Motz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Motz in America

Motz is the 13042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Motz surname appeared 2,354 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 Motz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Motz 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 Motz

The surname Motz is of German origin, and its history can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated as a nickname derived from the Middle High German word "mot" or "motz," which means "mud" or "dirt." This suggests that the name might have been given to someone who worked in a muddy or dirty environment, such as a farmer or a laborer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Motz can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1368. The entry refers to a "Hans Motz," who was a resident of the city at that time.

In the late 15th century, the Motz family was well-established in the region of Franconia, which is located in the northern part of Bavaria, Germany. Some notable members of the family during this period include Johannes Motz (c. 1460-1525), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

As the surname spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mots, Motsch, and Motzke. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name outside of Germany was Hans Motz, a Swiss painter and illustrator who lived in the 16th century. His works can be found in various churches and monasteries throughout Switzerland.

In the 17th century, the Motz family established itself in the Palatinate region of Germany, where they played a significant role in the local economy and politics. Johann Motz (1615-1682), a wealthy landowner and magistrate, was a prominent figure in the town of Heidelberg during this period.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Motz surname continued to spread across Europe, with notable individuals such as Friedrich Motz (1775-1848), a German theologian and philosopher, and Carl Motz (1824-1899), a Prussian military officer and historian.

Other notable individuals with the surname Motz include:

1. Hermann Motz (1850-1925), a German mathematician and physicist.
2. Roger Motz (1905-1983), a French composer and conductor.
3. Joachim Motz (1936-2009), a German actor and director.
4. Gerd Motz (born 1945), a German football player and manager.
5. Melissa Motz (born 1974), an American actress and model.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Motz

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

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

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

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