2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Muhler
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a miller or one who operates a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Muhler. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muhler 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Muhler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muhler
The surname MUHLER has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "muhle," which means "mill." This suggests that the name was originally associated with individuals who owned or worked in mills, which were essential for grinding grains and other agricultural products.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MUHLER can be traced back to various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. In these areas, the surname was often spelled in slightly different variations, such as "Muehler," "Müller," or "Muhler."
One of the earliest documented references to the name MUHLER can be found in the parish records of the town of Nuremberg, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention a family by the name of MUHLER who were involved in the local milling industry.
As the centuries progressed, the MUHLER name spread throughout various parts of Europe, with many individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions in various fields. For instance, Johann Gottlieb Muhler (1728-1788) was a renowned German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.
Another prominent figure with the MUHLER surname was Karl Muhler (1856-1919), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Munich, including the Alte Pinakothek museum and the Prinzregententheater theater.
In the realm of literature, Heinrich Muhler (1813-1874) was a German writer and poet who gained recognition for his lyrical works and contributions to the Romantic literary movement.
While the MUHLER name has its roots in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. One noteworthy individual was Frederick Muhler (1867-1942), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Muhler Furniture Company in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Erich Muhler (1900-1976), a German-born American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname MUHLER throughout history, illustrating the rich heritage and legacy associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muhler
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Muhler 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 Muhler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 110
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muhler
Muhler 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,385 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,385 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 4,892 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 Muhler 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 | #146,201 | #141,309 | 3.3% |
| Count | 113 | 121 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muhler bearers went from 113 to 121 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 4,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #141,309.
FAQ
Muhler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muhler?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Muhler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Muhler?
Muhler ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Muhler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Muhler.
Has Muhler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muhler went from 113 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 8 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Muhler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Muhler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muhler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Muhler (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 Muhler mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a miller or one who operates a mill. 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 Muhler (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 people have the last name Muhler?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Muhler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.