2000
#2,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.15
Uncommon Last name
Muse
A surname derived from the Old French word "muse," meaning a person who daydreams or is absorbed in thought.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,198 Americans carry the last name Muse. That puts it at #2,831 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,141 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muse 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 Muse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,141
Census rank
#2,831
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,381 bearers of the surname Muse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2831st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muse, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The Muse surname has also been found in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a John le Muse.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muse
Among Census respondents with the surname Muse, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Muse 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 Muse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.1% · 6,694
- Black or African American37.7% · 4,667
- Two or more races4.4% · 542
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 363
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muse
Muse 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
#2,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,571
+1,387 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 4.26
Rank movement Up 92 places
2020
#2,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,381
-190 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 4.14
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,962 | 11,184 | 4.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,870 | 12,571 | 4.26 | +1,387 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 92 places |
| 2020 | #2,831 | 12,381 | 4.14 | -190 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 39 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 Muse 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 | #2,870 | #2,831 | 1.4% |
| Count | 12,571 | 12,381 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.26 | 4.14 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muse bearers went from 12,571 to 12,381 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,870 to #2,831.
FAQ
Muse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muse?
Name Census estimates that about 14,198 living Americans carry the surname Muse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,141 residents.
How common is Muse?
Muse ranks #2,831 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,381 people with the surname Muse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Muse.
Has Muse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muse went from 12,571 recorded bearers to 12,381. That is a decrease of 190 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,870 to #2,831.
What does the Census say about the background of Muse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muse, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.1%. The next largest groups are Black (37.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Muse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.1% (6,694 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.1%), Black (37.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Muse (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 Muse mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "muse," meaning a person who daydreams or is absorbed in thought. 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 Muse (4.14 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 Americans have the surname Muse?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.