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

Musgrave, 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 Musgrave surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Musgrave in America

Musgrave is the 6769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Musgrave surname appeared 4,982 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Musgrave.

We can also compare 2010 data for Musgrave 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 Musgrave

The surname Musgrave originates from the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Westmorland, during the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "musce" meaning marsh or bog, and "græfe" meaning grove or thicket, suggesting the name referred to someone who lived near a marshy grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1176, mentioning a Richard de Musgrave. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records of landowners in England, indicating the family's long-standing presence in the region.

The Musgraves were a prominent family in the northern counties, owning lands and estates in various areas. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Musgrave (1337-1384), a distinguished soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was made a Knight of the Garter by King Edward III.

Another significant member of the family was Sir Richard Musgrave (1590-1670), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Westmorland. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and was involved in several military campaigns.

In the 17th century, the Musgraves established themselves in Ireland, with Sir Christopher Musgrave (1634-1688) becoming the Governor of Culmore Fort in County Londonderry. His son, Sir Richard Musgrave (1658-1718), was a prominent writer and historian, known for his work "Memoirs of the Rebellions in Ireland."

The name Musgrave is also associated with several place names in the northern counties of England, such as Musgrave Fell in Cumbria and Musgrave Manor in Yorkshire, further reflecting the family's longstanding connection to the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Musgrave include Sir Philip Musgrave (1607-1678), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Westmorland, and Sir James Musgrave (1710-1772), a British Army officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Musgrave

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

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

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

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