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

Muse, 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 Muse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muse in America

Muse is the 2870th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muse surname appeared 12,571 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Muse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muse 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 Muse

The surname Muse is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "muse," meaning a poet or a singer. This name first emerged in the 13th century and was originally an occupational surname given to skilled poets, musicians, or minstrels.

In medieval times, minstrels and troubadours were highly regarded for their ability to entertain and compose verses. The surname Muse was likely bestowed upon individuals who excelled in these artistic pursuits, reflecting their profession or talent.

Some of the earliest records of the name Muse can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "le Muse." This entry suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 13th century.

The Muse surname has also been found in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a John le Muse. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301 mention a Walter le Muse, indicating the presence of the name in different regions of England.

One notable individual bearing this surname was John Muse (c. 1583-1636), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "Mosaic's Gospel-History" and "The Catholic's Appeal for Sacred Scripture."

Another prominent figure was Thomas Muse (1599-1679), a Virginia landowner and politician who served as a member of the House of Burgesses and was instrumental in establishing the colonial government in Virginia.

In literature, Edward Lytton Muse (1803-1890) was an English poet and novelist known for his works such as "The Autobiography of a Phrenological Student" and "The Poetical Remains of Edward Lytton Muse."

The name Muse has also been associated with places, such as Muse Hall in Lancashire, England, which was named after a local family bearing the surname.

Throughout history, the surname Muse has been spelled in various ways, including Muse, Mews, Mewse, and Mewys, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muse

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

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

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

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