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

Musa, 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 Musa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Musa in America

Musa is the 8773rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Musa surname appeared 3,736 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Musa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Musa 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 Musa

The surname Musa has its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the word "Mūsā," which means "Moses" or "drawn out of water." This surname traces its roots to the Middle East and North Africa, where it was historically borne by adherents of the Islamic faith.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Musa can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and records, often referring to individuals of scholarly or religious significance. One notable example is Abu Bakr al-Musa, a renowned 9th-century mathematician and astronomer from Persia.

In the 8th century, the Musa dynasty ruled over parts of present-day Morocco and Algeria, with Idris Musa founding the Idrisid dynasty in 788 CE. This dynasty played a significant role in the spread of Islam and the development of Islamic culture in the region.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Musa was also found in parts of the Iberian Peninsula, where it was borne by individuals of Moorish or Arab descent. In the 12th century, a scholar and philosopher named Ibn Musa lived in Seville, Spain, and made notable contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics.

As the Islamic empires expanded, the surname Musa spread to other parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. In the 16th century, a renowned explorer and navigator named Musa Bin Nair hailed from Sumatra and played a crucial role in the Malacca Sultanate's maritime expeditions.

Another notable figure associated with the surname Musa is Hakim Musa Naqshbandi, a 16th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from Central Asia, who was instrumental in the spread of the Naqshbandi Sufi order.

Other historical figures bearing the surname Musa include Ali Musa al-Rida, an 8th-century Shia Imam revered for his knowledge and piety, and Musa al-Kazim, a 7th-century Islamic scholar and descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

Throughout history, the surname Musa has been found in various spellings and regional variations, such as Moosa, Moussa, and Mossa, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences it has encountered in different parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Musa

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

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 Musa 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 Musa 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 Musa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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