2000
#36,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 572
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Mouse
An English surname derived from the word for the small rodent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,179 Americans carry the last name Mouse. That puts it at #14,946 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,299 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mouse 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mouse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,299
Census rank
#14,946
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,900 bearers of the surname Mouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14946th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (10.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mouse
The surname MOUSE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "mus," which means "mouse." This surname likely referred to someone who had some association with mice, such as a person who caught or dealt with mice.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership in England, there are several entries that could be related to the surname MOUSE. For example, there are references to people with the name "Musse" or "Mussun," which may have been early spellings or variations of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MOUSE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named William Mous is mentioned. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279, which includes a reference to a John Mous.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname MOUSE was also found in various locations across England, including places like Huntingdonshire, Oxfordshire, and Yorkshire. Some early variations of the surname included spellings like "Mous," "Mousse," and "Mouss."
One notable historical figure with the surname MOUSE was Sir Christopher Mouse (c. 1510 – 1589), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the 16th century.
Another individual with the surname MOUSE was John Mouse (c. 1540 – 1615), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 17th century, there was a Robert Mouse (c. 1620 – 1685), who was an English lawyer and author. He wrote several legal treatises, including "The Student's Guide to the Common Law" and "The Student's Companion."
During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname MOUSE was Richard Mouse (1725 – 1799), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta Supreme Court in British India.
In the 19th century, there was a William Mouse (1810 – 1876), who was an English architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings in London, including St. James's Church and the former National Provincial Bank headquarters.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (10.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mouse 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 Mouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.7% · 1,097
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 237
- Black or African American10.6% · 202
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.7% · 185
- Two or more races5.1% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mouse
Mouse 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
#38,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 566
-6 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 2,141 places
2020
#14,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,900
+1,334 bearers (+235.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 24,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,807 | 572 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,948 | 566 | 0.19 | -6 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 2,141 places |
| 2020 | #14,946 | 1,900 | 0.64 | +1,334 bearers (+235.7%) | Up 24,002 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 Mouse 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 | #38,948 | #14,946 | 61.6% |
| Count | 566 | 1,900 | 235.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.64 | 234.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mouse bearers went from 566 to 1,900 (+235.7% change). The surname moved up 24,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,948 to #14,946.
FAQ
Mouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mouse?
Name Census estimates that about 2,179 living Americans carry the surname Mouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,299 residents.
How common is Mouse?
Mouse ranks #14,946 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,900 people with the surname Mouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mouse.
Has Mouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mouse went from 566 recorded bearers to 1,900. That is an increase of 1,334 (+235.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #38,948 to #14,946.
What does the Census say about the background of Mouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouse, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Black (10.6%). 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 Mouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.7% (1,097 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.7%), Hispanic (12.5%), Black (10.6%). 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 Mouse (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 Mouse mean?
An English surname derived from the word for the small rodent. 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 Mouse (0.64 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 common is the surname Mouse?
You can see how many people are called Mouse on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.