2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mouro
A surname possibly derived from the Portuguese word "mouro," meaning Moor or Muslim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Mouro. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mouro 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Mouro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouro, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mouro
The surname "MOURO" is believed to have originated in Portugal during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word "mouro," which means "Moor" or "Muslim." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals or families with ties to the Moorish communities that once inhabited parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "MOURO" can be found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens, a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals bearing the name "MOURO," indicating that it was already in use by that time.
During the 15th century, the name "MOURO" appears in various historical records, such as the Chancelaria Real, which was a collection of royal decrees and correspondence. One notable figure from this period was João Afonso MOURO, a navigator and explorer who participated in the Portuguese expeditions to the West African coast in the mid-1400s.
In the 16th century, there are references to a prominent Portuguese family named MOURO, who held land and estates in the Alentejo region. One member of this family, Diogo Lopes MOURO, was a military commander and served in the Portuguese colonies in Africa during the 1500s.
Another individual of note was Pedro MOURO, a 17th-century poet and playwright from Lisbon. His works, which included plays and poetic compositions, were widely celebrated during his lifetime and contributed to the cultural legacy of the MOURO name.
During the 18th century, the surname "MOURO" can be found in various parish records and documents from towns and villages across Portugal, suggesting that it had become well-established throughout the country by that time.
One notable figure from this era was Francisco Xavier MOURO, a Portuguese architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several churches and public buildings in Lisbon during the late 1700s.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "MOURO" continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military personnel. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, the name has endured and remains a part of Portugal's rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mouro
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouro, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mouro 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 Mouro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino12.1% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mouro
Mouro 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
+25 bearers (+24.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,465 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +25 bearers (+24.8%) | Up 15,465 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 11,165 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 Mouro 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 | #145,028 | -8.3% |
| Count | 126 | 116 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mouro bearers went from 126 to 116 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 11,165 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #145,028.
FAQ
Mouro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mouro?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Mouro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Mouro?
Mouro ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Mouro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Mouro.
Has Mouro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mouro went from 126 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Mouro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouro, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Mouro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mouro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Hispanic (12.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). 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 Mouro (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 Mouro mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Portuguese word "mouro," meaning Moor or Muslim. 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 Mouro (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 Mouro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.