2000
#9,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Mower
An occupational surname referring to one who mows grass or hay, or a maker of scythes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,714 Americans carry the last name Mower. That puts it at #9,597 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,287 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mower 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 Mower with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,287
Census rank
#9,597
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,239 bearers of the surname Mower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9597th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mower, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mower
The surname Mower has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'mawere', which referred to someone who mowed or cut grass, hay, or other crops. As an occupational surname, it was initially given to individuals whose primary occupation was mowing or harvesting.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landholders in England, there are several entries that may have been early forms or variations of the surname Mower. These include 'le Mawere' and 'le Mauer', indicating the presence of the name in various regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mower can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1197, where a person named Richard le Mawere is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname appeared in various spellings such as 'le Mower', 'le Mowere', and 'le Mauere' in various county records and rolls. These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and across different regions.
One notable individual bearing the surname Mower was John Mower, a member of the Parliament of England who served as a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in 1401. Another prominent figure was Sir Christopher Mower, a courtier and diplomat who lived during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the surname Mower can be found in the parish records of several counties, including Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire, and Warwickshire. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Thomas Mower, a Puritan minister and writer who lived from 1612 to 1670.
During the 18th century, the Mower surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of England. One notable individual was Michael Mower, a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker who lived from 1743 to 1806 in London.
Throughout history, the surname Mower has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Mower's Green in Hertfordshire and Mower's Meadow in Wiltshire, which may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname or from the occupation itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mower
Among Census respondents with the surname Mower, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mower 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 Mower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 2,953
- Two or more races3.7% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 31
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mower
Mower 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
#9,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,336
+121 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 412 places
2020
#9,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,239
-97 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,310 | 3,215 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,722 | 3,336 | 1.13 | +121 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 412 places |
| 2020 | #9,597 | 3,239 | 1.08 | -97 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 125 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 Mower 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 | #9,722 | #9,597 | 1.3% |
| Count | 3,336 | 3,239 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.08 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mower bearers went from 3,336 to 3,239 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,722 to #9,597.
FAQ
Mower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mower?
Name Census estimates that about 3,714 living Americans carry the surname Mower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,287 residents.
How common is Mower?
Mower ranks #9,597 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,239 people with the surname Mower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Mower.
Has Mower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mower went from 3,336 recorded bearers to 3,239. That is a decrease of 97 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,722 to #9,597.
What does the Census say about the background of Mower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mower, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Mower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (2,953 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Mower (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 Mower mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who mows grass or hay, or a maker of scythes. 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 Mower (1.08 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 Mower?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.