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

Motzer, 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 Motzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Motzer in America

Motzer is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Motzer surname appeared 248 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 Motzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Motzer 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 Motzer

The surname MOTZER is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the German word "motze," which referred to a type of bread or pastry. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name, referring to someone who baked or sold this particular food item.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MOTZER can be found in the Bavarian town of Regensburg, where a baker named Hans Motzer is mentioned in a guild record from the late 15th century. It is possible that this Hans Motzer or his ancestors were among the first to bear the surname.

In the 16th century, the name MOTZER appeared in various church records and land registries across southern Germany, indicating that it had become a established surname in the region. For example, a Johann Motzer is listed as a landowner in the town of Augsburg in 1542.

As the MOTZER family spread throughout Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Mozer, Mötzer, and Motser. These alternative spellings can be found in historical documents from different parts of the country.

One notable figure bearing the MOTZER surname was Johann Georg Motzer (1692-1777), a German painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg. His works, which included religious scenes and portraits, were highly regarded during his lifetime and can still be found in various museums and collections.

Another individual of note was the 19th century German politician and lawyer Friedrich Motzer (1824-1898), who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) and played a role in the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck.

In the 20th century, the name MOTZER gained some recognition through the work of the German-American author and journalist Walter Motzer (1901-1976), who wrote several books on topics ranging from travel to political commentary.

While the MOTZER surname may not be among the most common in Germany or other parts of the world, it has a long and rich history that can be traced back to its medieval roots in Bavaria.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Motzer

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

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

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

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