2000
#17,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,467
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Munns
A locational surname derived from the place name Munns in Hertfordshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,038 Americans carry the last name Munns. That puts it at #15,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Munns 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Munns with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 168,182
Census rank
#15,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,777 bearers of the surname Munns in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Munns, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Munns
The surname Munns is of English origin, and can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, specifically the 11th century. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a hill or mound.
The name is derived from the Old English word "mun," which means "hill" or "mound." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Munne," which appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership and property values compiled under the orders of William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Munns was John Munne, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1203. Another early reference can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a certain Richard le Munne was listed.
The name Munns has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Munns Hill in Worcestershire and Munns Farm in Suffolk. These place names likely originated from the same Old English root word "mun," and may have influenced the surname's development.
Over the centuries, the surname has evolved and taken on various spellings, including Munn, Munne, and Mun. Some notable individuals with the surname Munns include:
1. Sir John Munns (1598-1667), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament.
2. Thomas Munns (1762-1842), an English businessman and philanthropist who established the Munns Charity in London.
3. Elizabeth Munns (1770-1846), a British writer and educator who authored several books on education and moral instruction.
4. William Munns (1818-1901), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.
5. Edward Munns (1865-1947), an Australian politician and barrister who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.
The surname Munns has a rich history that spans several centuries, with roots in the Old English language and connections to various place names throughout England. While it may have evolved in spelling over time, the essence of its topographic origins has remained intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Munns
Among Census respondents with the surname Munns, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Munns 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 Munns surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 1,502
- Black or African American8.0% · 143
- Two or more races4.2% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Munns
Munns 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
#17,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,604
+137 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 98 places
2020
#15,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,777
+173 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 1,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,639 | 1,467 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,541 | 1,604 | 0.54 | +137 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 98 places |
| 2020 | #15,799 | 1,777 | 0.59 | +173 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,742 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 Munns 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 | #17,541 | #15,799 | 9.9% |
| Count | 1,604 | 1,777 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.59 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Munns bearers went from 1,604 to 1,777 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 1,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,541 to #15,799.
FAQ
Munns surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Munns?
Name Census estimates that about 2,038 living Americans carry the surname Munns. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,182 residents.
How common is Munns?
Munns ranks #15,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,777 people with the surname Munns. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Munns.
Has Munns become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Munns went from 1,604 recorded bearers to 1,777. That is an increase of 173 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,541 to #15,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Munns?
Among Census respondents with the surname Munns, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Munns in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (1,502 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Munns appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Munns (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 Munns mean?
A locational surname derived from the place name Munns in Hertfordshire, England. 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 Munns (0.59 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 Munns?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Munns is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.