2000
#6,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,842
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Moyers
An occupational surname for a land assessor or property valuer, derived from the Old French "moeor" or "mueor".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,440 Americans carry the last name Moyers. That puts it at #6,823 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,006 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moyers 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 Moyers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,006
Census rank
#6,823
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,744 bearers of the surname Moyers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6823rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moyers
The surname MOYERS is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "moyere," which referred to a person who operated a mill, particularly a water mill used for grinding grain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MOYERS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1230, where a person named Robert le Moyere was mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Henry III.
During the 13th century, the surname MOYERS also appeared in various forms, such as Moyer, Mayer, and Moir, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. It is possible that some of these variations stem from the French word "meunier," which also meant "miller."
In the 14th century, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 recorded a John le Moyer, further solidifying the presence of this surname in medieval England. These rolls were tax records used to assess and collect subsidies or levies from the population.
One notable individual with the surname MOYERS was William Moyers, a 16th-century English poet and clergyman born around 1535 in Wiltshire. He is known for his poetic works, including a translation of the biblical Book of Psalms into English verse.
Another historical figure was John Moyers, a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War. Born in 1754 in England, he fought alongside the British forces against the American colonists before eventually settling in Canada after the war.
In the 19th century, John Moyers (1778-1853) was a prominent American businessman and real estate developer from Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in the early development of the city of Reading and was instrumental in establishing several businesses and industries in the area.
The name MOYERS also gained recognition through Bill Moyers, an American journalist and political commentator born in 1934 in Oklahoma. He is renowned for his work as a news analyst, author, and host of various television programs, including those on public broadcasting networks.
While the surname MOYERS has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, where it was associated with the occupation of operating mills, primarily water mills used for grinding grain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moyers
Among Census respondents with the surname Moyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Moyers 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 Moyers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 4,303
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 215
- Two or more races2.9% · 137
- Black or African American1.0% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moyers
Moyers 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
#6,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,818
-24 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 494 places
2020
#6,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,744
-74 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Up 138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,467 | 4,842 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,961 | 4,818 | 1.63 | -24 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 494 places |
| 2020 | #6,823 | 4,744 | 1.59 | -74 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 138 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 Moyers 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 | #6,961 | #6,823 | 2.0% |
| Count | 4,818 | 4,744 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.59 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moyers bearers went from 4,818 to 4,744 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 138 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,961 to #6,823.
FAQ
Moyers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moyers?
Name Census estimates that about 5,440 living Americans carry the surname Moyers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,006 residents.
How common is Moyers?
Moyers ranks #6,823 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,744 people with the surname Moyers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,440), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Moyers.
Has Moyers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moyers went from 4,818 recorded bearers to 4,744. That is a decrease of 74 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,961 to #6,823.
What does the Census say about the background of Moyers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moyers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (4,303 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moyers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moyers (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 Moyers mean?
An occupational surname for a land assessor or property valuer, derived from the Old French "moeor" or "mueor". 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 Moyers (1.59 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 Moyers?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Moyers at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.