2000
#31,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Muma
A medieval surname from Germany and Austria, derived from the nickname "Mum" meaning silent or mute person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 938 Americans carry the last name Muma. That puts it at #30,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 365,410 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muma 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
938
1 in 365,410
Census rank
#30,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
818
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 818 bearers of the surname Muma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muma, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muma
The surname MUMA is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "muma" or "muoma," which referred to an aunt or elderly woman. As such, the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive term for a respected elder or relative.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MUMA surname can be found in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, dating back to the late 15th century. The name is also mentioned in various church records and land registries from the regions of Franconia and Swabia during the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans MUMA (c. 1520-1590) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg. His family's wealth and influence played a significant role in the economic and cultural development of the region during the Renaissance period.
Another individual of note was Johann MUMA (1628-1701), a Lutheran theologian and author from Hesse. He wrote several influential treatises on religious doctrine and philosophy, which were widely circulated throughout Central Europe during the latter half of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, a man named Jakob MUMA (1745-1818) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and craftsman in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd in Württemberg. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons across the German states.
Moving into the 19th century, a prominent figure was the Prussian military officer and statesman, Wilhelm von MUMA (1792-1862). He served as a general during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a high-ranking diplomat, representing the interests of the Kingdom of Prussia in various international affairs.
Another notable individual was the German painter and illustrator, Emilie MUMA (1848-1923). Her works, which often depicted scenes of rural life and landscapes, were widely exhibited and celebrated throughout the late 19th century, earning her recognition as one of the leading artists of the Biedermeier style.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muma
Among Census respondents with the surname Muma, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Muma 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 Muma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.0% · 589
- Black or African American13.7% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 64
- Two or more races4.0% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muma
Muma 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
#30,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 782
+88 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 1,517 places
2020
#30,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 818
+36 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 544 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,530 | 694 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,013 | 782 | 0.27 | +88 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 1,517 places |
| 2020 | #30,557 | 818 | 0.27 | +36 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 544 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 Muma 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 | #30,013 | #30,557 | -1.8% |
| Count | 782 | 818 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.27 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muma bearers went from 782 to 818 (+4.6% change). The surname moved down 544 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,013 to #30,557.
FAQ
Muma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muma?
Name Census estimates that about 938 living Americans carry the surname Muma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 365,410 residents.
How common is Muma?
Muma ranks #30,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 818 people with the surname Muma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (938), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Muma.
Has Muma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muma went from 782 recorded bearers to 818. That is an increase of 36 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,013 to #30,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Muma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muma, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and Hispanic (7.8%). 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 Muma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.0% (589 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.0%), Black (13.7%), Hispanic (7.8%). 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 Muma (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 Muma mean?
A medieval surname from Germany and Austria, derived from the nickname "Mum" meaning silent or mute person. 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 Muma (0.27 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 surname Muma?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.