Find out how popular the last name Mudd is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mudd.

Mudd, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Mudd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mudd in America

Mudd is the 5444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mudd surname appeared 6,391 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Mudd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mudd to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Mudd

The surname MUDD is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "mudd" or "mud," which referred to a muddy or swampy area. It is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a topographic name, given to individuals who lived near or worked in marshy or muddy regions.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname MUDD can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1279, where one Robert de la Mudde is mentioned. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a John atte Mudde.

In the 15th century, the MUDD surname began appearing in various parish records across England. One notable individual from this period was William Mudd, who was born around 1450 in Hallingbury, Essex. He is recorded as a landowner and farmer in the area.

As the surname spread throughout England, it also evolved into different spellings, such as Mudde, Muddes, and Muddie. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the MUDD surname. One of the most famous was Henry Mudd, a physician from Maryland who was implicated in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Although his role in the conspiracy is still debated, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Mudd, born in 1670 in Worcestershire, England. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London.

In the literary world, Lewis Mudd (1670-1738) was an English playwright and poet who authored several works, including the tragedy "The Unhappy Pair" and the comedy "The Pretenders."

The MUDD surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Muddleswood in Staffordshire and Muddyford in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "mudd" and may have influenced the surname's origins or development.

While the MUDD surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history spanning centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, from farmers and merchants to physicians and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mudd

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mudd.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mudd was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Mudd has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Mudd was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mudd, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!