2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mumey
A surname derived from a variant spelling of "Momerie," meaning the occupation of a mummer or actor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Mumey. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mumey 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Mumey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mumey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mumey
The surname MUMEY is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Mumme," which referred to a type of beer or ale that was popular in the region at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MUMEY surname can be found in the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in the town of Neunkirchen, Germany, where a child named Hans Mumey was baptized in 1589. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time.
In the 17th century, the MUMEY name began to spread across other parts of Europe, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in areas such as the Netherlands and England. This was likely due to migration patterns and the movement of people during that period.
An notable early figure with the MUMEY surname was Johann Mumey, a German brewer who lived in the city of Cologne in the late 17th century. He is believed to have been instrumental in popularizing the Mumme beer style throughout the region.
In the 18th century, the MUMEY name made its way to the American colonies, with several families of German descent settling in Pennsylvania and other areas. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Jacob Mumey, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1742.
Another notable figure from this period was William MUMEY, a farmer and revolutionary soldier from Virginia who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1751 and served under General George Washington's command during the conflict.
As the centuries progressed, the MUMEY surname continued to spread throughout the United States and other parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, including agriculture, business, and education.
One such individual was John MUMEY, an American educator and author who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He authored several books on teaching methods and educational philosophy, and served as the principal of several schools in Ohio and Indiana.
In the 20th century, the MUMEY surname gained further recognition through the work of artist and illustrator Noyes MUMEY, who was born in 1888 in Indiana. His illustrations and paintings, which often depicted rural life and landscapes, were widely acclaimed and exhibited in galleries across the United States.
Overall, the MUMEY surname has a rich and diverse history, with its origins rooted in the brewing traditions of Germany and its subsequent spread throughout Europe and the Americas. While the name may have evolved and taken on different forms over time, its legacy continues to be reflected in the achievements and contributions of individuals bearing this surname across various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mumey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mumey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mumey 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 Mumey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mumey
Mumey 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,193 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 16,193 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 129 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 Mumey 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 | #144,141 | #144,270 | -0.1% |
| Count | 115 | 117 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mumey bearers went from 115 to 117 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #144,270.
FAQ
Mumey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mumey?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Mumey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Mumey?
Mumey ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Mumey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Mumey.
Has Mumey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mumey went from 115 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mumey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mumey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mumey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mumey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Mumey (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 Mumey mean?
A surname derived from a variant spelling of "Momerie," meaning the occupation of a mummer or actor. 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 Mumey (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 Mumey?
See how common the surname Mumey is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.