2000
#4,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,554
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Rare Last name
Musgrove
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Musgrove, derived from Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,253 Americans carry the last name Musgrove. That puts it at #5,317 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,257 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Musgrove 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 Musgrove with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,257
Census rank
#5,317
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,325 bearers of the surname Musgrove in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5317th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Musgrove
The surname Musgrove originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "musc," meaning marsh or bog, and "grava," meaning grove or small wood. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who hailed from a marshy wooded area or a settlement near such a terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Musgrave" is listed as a place name in the county of Northamptonshire, providing evidence of the surname's ancient origins.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "de Musgrove," "de Musgrave," and "Musgrove," reflecting the evolution of spelling and the transition from a locational descriptor to a hereditary surname. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Sir Thomas de Musgrove, a prominent landowner in Westmorland, and Sir Richard de Musgrave, who served as High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1292.
As the surname spread across England, it took on various spellings, such as Musgrave, Musgrove, and Musgraves. One noteworthy figure was Sir Christopher Musgrave (1631-1688), an English politician and military officer who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the Musgrove name gained prominence in the literary world with the poet and playwright Samuel Musgrove (1732-1782), whose works included the tragedy "The Royal Suppliants" and the poem "The Minstrel's Curse."
Another illustrious bearer of the name was Sir Anthony Musgrave (1828-1888), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Newfoundland and later as Governor of Jamaica. His contributions to colonial governance and his efforts to promote education and social reforms earned him recognition and respect.
The Musgrove surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Musgrave in Cumbria, Musgrove in Somerset, and Musgrove Willows in Wiltshire, further reinforcing its locational origins and the significance of the name in the country's history and geography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Musgrove
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Musgrove 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 Musgrove surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 4,950
- Black or African American11.5% · 726
- Two or more races4.9% · 313
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 229
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Musgrove
Musgrove 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
#5,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,660
+106 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Down 311 places
2020
#5,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,325
-335 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,926 | 6,554 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,237 | 6,660 | 2.26 | +106 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 311 places |
| 2020 | #5,317 | 6,325 | 2.12 | -335 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 80 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 Musgrove 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 | #5,237 | #5,317 | -1.5% |
| Count | 6,660 | 6,325 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.26 | 2.12 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Musgrove bearers went from 6,660 to 6,325 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,237 to #5,317.
FAQ
Musgrove surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Musgrove?
Name Census estimates that about 7,253 living Americans carry the surname Musgrove. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,257 residents.
How common is Musgrove?
Musgrove ranks #5,317 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 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 6,325 people with the surname Musgrove. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,253), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 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 Musgrove.
Has Musgrove become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Musgrove went from 6,660 recorded bearers to 6,325. That is a decrease of 335 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,237 to #5,317.
What does the Census say about the background of Musgrove?
Among Census respondents with the surname Musgrove, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Musgrove in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (4,950 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Musgrove appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Musgrove (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 Musgrove mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Musgrove, derived from Old English. 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 Musgrove (2.12 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 Musgrove?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.