2000
#6,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Musgrave
From the Old English elements "mus" meaning mouse and "graf" meaning grove or thicket, referring to a mouse-infested grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,603 Americans carry the last name Musgrave. That puts it at #6,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Musgrave 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 Musgrave with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,173
Census rank
#6,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,886 bearers of the surname Musgrave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Musgrave
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Musgrave 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 Musgrave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 4,322
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 195
- Two or more races3.4% · 165
- Black or African American3.0% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Musgrave
Musgrave 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
#6,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,982
+12 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 459 places
2020
#6,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,886
-96 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,310 | 4,970 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,769 | 4,982 | 1.69 | +12 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 459 places |
| 2020 | #6,641 | 4,886 | 1.63 | -96 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 128 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 Musgrave 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 | #6,769 | #6,641 | 1.9% |
| Count | 4,982 | 4,886 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.63 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Musgrave bearers went from 4,982 to 4,886 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,769 to #6,641.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Musgrave
FAQ
Musgrave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Musgrave?
Name Census estimates that about 5,603 living Americans carry the surname Musgrave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,173 residents.
How common is Musgrave?
Musgrave ranks #6,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,886 people with the surname Musgrave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,603), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Musgrave.
Has Musgrave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Musgrave went from 4,982 recorded bearers to 4,886. That is a decrease of 96 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,769 to #6,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Musgrave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Musgrave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,322 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Musgrave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Musgrave (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 Musgrave mean?
From the Old English elements "mus" meaning mouse and "graf" meaning grove or thicket, referring to a mouse-infested grove. 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 Musgrave (1.63 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 Musgrave?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.