2000
#27,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 816
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Mouw
A Dutch occupational surname denoting a maker of mittens or gloves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,144 Americans carry the last name Mouw. That puts it at #25,839 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 299,610 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mouw 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
1.1K
1 in 299,610
Census rank
#25,839
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
998
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 998 bearers of the surname Mouw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25839th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mouw
The surname Mouw is of Dutch origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the region of Holland. The name is derived from the Dutch word "mouw," which means "sleeve," referring to an article of clothing.
In the earliest records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Mau, Mauw, and Mouwe, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations common in that era. The first known recorded instance of the name can be found in the Dutch archives from the late 1500s, where it was documented as Mouwe.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing this surname was Jan Mouw, a merchant and trader from Amsterdam, who lived between 1587 and 1648. His name appears in several trade records and business transactions from the Dutch Golden Age.
During the 17th century, the name gained prominence in the city of Leiden, where a family of Mouw weavers and textile makers established themselves. Willem Mouw (1622-1694), a renowned weaver from this lineage, is credited with introducing innovative techniques in the production of fine woolen fabrics.
As the Dutch expanded their global reach through trade and exploration, the Mouw surname traveled to distant lands. One such example is Pieter Mouw (1679-1743), a Dutch navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the East Indies and the Cape of Good Hope.
In the 18th century, the name made its way to the American colonies, as Dutch settlers emigrated to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Johannes Mouw (1715-1789), a farmer from the Dutch settlement of Flatbush, located in what is now Brooklyn, New York.
Another notable figure was Hendrick Mouw (1743-1821), a Dutch-American soldier who fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His military service and contributions to the independence struggle are well-documented in historical records from that period.
As the centuries passed, the Mouw surname continued to spread and evolve, with families bearing this name making their mark in various fields and regions across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mouw
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mouw 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 Mouw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 922
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 32
- Two or more races2.4% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mouw
Mouw 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
#26,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 935
+119 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 1,573 places
2020
#25,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 998
+63 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 332 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,744 | 816 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,171 | 935 | 0.32 | +119 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 1,573 places |
| 2020 | #25,839 | 998 | 0.33 | +63 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 332 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 Mouw 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 | #26,171 | #25,839 | 1.3% |
| Count | 935 | 998 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.33 | 4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mouw bearers went from 935 to 998 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 332 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,171 to #25,839.
FAQ
Mouw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mouw?
Name Census estimates that about 1,144 living Americans carry the surname Mouw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 299,610 residents.
How common is Mouw?
Mouw ranks #25,839 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 998 people with the surname Mouw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Mouw.
Has Mouw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mouw went from 935 recorded bearers to 998. That is an increase of 63 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,171 to #25,839.
What does the Census say about the background of Mouw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mouw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mouw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mouw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mouw (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 Mouw mean?
A Dutch occupational surname denoting a maker of mittens or gloves. 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 Mouw (0.33 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 Mouw?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.