2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Muchison
A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near Dryburgh in the Scottish Borders.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Muchison. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muchison 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Muchison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muchison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muchison
The surname Muchison originates from the Scottish Lowlands and is believed to have emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "much," meaning "great" or "large," and the suffix "-son," indicating a patronymic name.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Muckeson" or "Mukkeson," reflecting the Scottish pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named "Willielmus Mukkesone" is mentioned.
The name is thought to have been initially adopted by individuals who were considered physically large or imposing, or perhaps those who held a position of importance within their community. Over time, as the name passed from generation to generation, various spelling variations emerged, including Muchison, Muckison, and Muchieson.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish of Holyrood in Edinburgh, where a John Muckison was recorded as a resident in 1567. Another notable individual bearing this surname was Robert Muchison, a Scottish geologist and pioneer in the study of Paleozoic era rocks, born in 1792 and died in 1871.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Muchison surname was Sir Thomas Muchison, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was awarded lands in Renfrewshire for his bravery and loyalty.
In the late 17th century, a family with the surname Muchison settled in the village of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. One of their descendants, James Muchison, born in 1718, became a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.
Another notable individual was Margaret Muchison, born in 1825 in Aberdeenshire, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Scotland and played a significant role in the advancement of education for women during the Victorian era.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Muchison throughout history, highlighting its Scottish origins and the various areas where it has been found over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muchison
Among Census respondents with the surname Muchison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Muchison 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 Muchison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.2% · 89
- White9.3% · 10
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muchison
Muchison appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,793 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 Muchison 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 | #158,432 | #151,639 | 4.3% |
| Count | 102 | 107 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muchison bearers went from 102 to 107 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #151,639.
FAQ
Muchison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muchison?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Muchison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Muchison?
Muchison ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Muchison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Muchison.
Has Muchison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muchison went from 102 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Muchison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muchison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Muchison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muchison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.2%), White (9.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Muchison (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 Muchison mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near Dryburgh in the Scottish Borders. 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 Muchison (0.04 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 Muchison?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.