2000
#93,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Mushatt
From the Middle English words "mus" (mouse) and "hat" (hunter), indicating an ancestral occupation of hunting mice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 221 Americans carry the last name Mushatt. That puts it at #100,083 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,550,925 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mushatt 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.
Bearers in the US
221
1 in 1,550,925
Census rank
#100,083
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
193
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 193 bearers of the surname Mushatt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 100083rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mushatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mushatt
The surname MUSHATT originated in the Middle East, with roots tracing back to ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) and the surrounding regions. It is believed to have derived from the Persian word "mushaat," which means "journey" or "traveler." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals or families who were nomadic or frequently traveled for trade or other purposes.
During the 7th century, the Arab conquests and the subsequent spread of Islam led to the migration of many Persian families into the Middle Eastern regions. Some families carrying the MUSHATT name settled in areas that are now part of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Records from this period, such as tax registers and census documents, have revealed variations in the spelling, including "Mushat," "Moshaat," and "Moshati."
One of the earliest known references to the name MUSHATT can be found in a manuscript dated to the 10th century, which mentions a merchant named Ali ibn Mushaat from the city of Baghdad. This document provides valuable insight into the presence of the name in that region during the Abbasid Caliphate era.
In the 13th century, a notable figure with the MUSHATT name was Khwaja Mushaat al-Din, a Persian philosopher and scholar who lived in the city of Shiraz. His works on ethics and metaphysics were widely studied throughout the Islamic world during that time.
As the Ottoman Empire expanded into the Middle East and North Africa, some MUSHATT families migrated westward, eventually settling in regions such as modern-day Turkey and parts of the Balkans. This led to further variations in the spelling and pronunciation of the name, reflecting the influence of local languages and dialects.
Another prominent individual with the MUSHATT surname was Mustafa Mushaat, a 16th-century Ottoman architect who designed several notable mosques and public buildings in Istanbul and other cities within the empire. His work played a significant role in the development of Ottoman architecture during that period.
In the 19th century, a Lebanese writer and poet named Khalil Mushaat gained recognition for his literary contributions, particularly his poetry collection "Ghurub al-Shams" (Sunset), which was widely acclaimed in the Arabic-speaking world.
While the MUSHATT surname has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and travel. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage and significance of this name throughout various eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mushatt
Among Census respondents with the surname Mushatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mushatt 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 Mushatt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.8% · 156
- White9.8% · 19
- Two or more races9.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mushatt
Mushatt 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
#89,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
+26 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 4,358 places
2020
#100,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 193
-15 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 11,014 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #93,427 | 182 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,069 | 208 | 0.07 | +26 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 4,358 places |
| 2020 | #100,083 | 193 | 0.06 | -15 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 11,014 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 Mushatt 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 | #89,069 | #100,083 | -12.4% |
| Count | 208 | 193 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mushatt bearers went from 208 to 193 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 11,014 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,069 to #100,083.
FAQ
Mushatt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mushatt?
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the surname Mushatt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,550,925 residents.
How common is Mushatt?
Mushatt ranks #100,083 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 193 people with the surname Mushatt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mushatt.
Has Mushatt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mushatt went from 208 recorded bearers to 193. That is a decrease of 15 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #89,069 to #100,083.
What does the Census say about the background of Mushatt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mushatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (9.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mushatt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mushatt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.8%), White (9.8%), Two or More Races (9.3%). 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 Mushatt (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 Mushatt mean?
From the Middle English words "mus" (mouse) and "hat" (hunter), indicating an ancestral occupation of hunting mice. 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 Mushatt (0.06 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 Mushatt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.