2000
#25,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 889
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Mu
A Chinese surname possibly referring to ancient wooden structures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,628 Americans carry the last name Mu. That puts it at #9,775 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mu 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 Mu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,475
Census rank
#9,775
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,164 bearers of the surname Mu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9775th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mu
The surname Mu is derived from the Mandarin Chinese word 'mu' meaning wood or tree. It is believed to have originated in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) when surnames were first widely adopted. The name was likely given to those who lived near or worked with trees, such as carpenters, woodcutters, or those who lived in heavily forested areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mu can be found in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) historical records, where a scholar named Mu Xiaozhong (生卒年不详) is mentioned. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), there was a famous general named Mu Anding (生卒年不详) who played a crucial role in defending the empire against northern invaders.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), there was a renowned painter and calligrapher named Mu Xin (生卒年不详) who was known for his innovative brush techniques and naturalistic depictions of landscapes. Another notable figure from this period was Mu Ying (生卒年不详), a high-ranking official and scholar who served as a minister under several emperors.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the Mu surname gained prominence with the rise of Mu Qing (1717-1788), a respected scholar and official who held several important positions in the imperial government. Another prominent figure from this time was Mu Dan (1834-1896), a pioneering female writer and poet who challenged traditional gender roles and advocated for women's education.
In more recent history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Mu, such as Mu Guang (1901-1988), a prominent artist and educator who played a significant role in the development of modern Chinese art education. Mu Xin (1927-2011) was a renowned writer and literary critic who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese literature and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mu
Among Census respondents with the surname Mu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mu 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 Mu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.6% · 2,929
- White3.6% · 114
- Black or African American1.4% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 42
- Two or more races1.1% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mu
Mu 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
#16,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,803
+914 bearers (+102.8%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 9,881 places
2020
#9,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,164
+1,361 bearers (+75.5%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 6,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,945 | 889 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,064 | 1,803 | 0.61 | +914 bearers (+102.8%) | Up 9,881 places |
| 2020 | #9,775 | 3,164 | 1.06 | +1,361 bearers (+75.5%) | Up 6,289 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 Mu 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 | #16,064 | #9,775 | 39.1% |
| Count | 1,803 | 3,164 | 75.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 1.06 | 73.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mu bearers went from 1,803 to 3,164 (+75.5% change). The surname moved up 6,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,064 to #9,775.
FAQ
Mu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mu?
Name Census estimates that about 3,628 living Americans carry the surname Mu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,475 residents.
How common is Mu?
Mu ranks #9,775 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,164 people with the surname Mu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,628), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Mu.
Has Mu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mu went from 1,803 recorded bearers to 3,164. That is an increase of 1,361 (+75.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,064 to #9,775.
What does the Census say about the background of Mu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Black (1.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,929 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.6%), White (3.6%), Black (1.4%). 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 Mu (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 Mu mean?
A Chinese surname possibly referring to ancient wooden structures. 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 Mu (1.06 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 Mu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.