2000
#7,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Music
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly referring to someone who played or enjoyed music, or lived near a musician.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,745 Americans carry the last name Music. That puts it at #7,713 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Music 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
4.7K
1 in 72,235
Census rank
#7,713
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,138 bearers of the surname Music in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7713th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Music, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Music
The surname "Music" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "musica," which meant "the art of music." The name is thought to have been an occupational surname given to musicians, singers, or those involved in the production or performance of music.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Music" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a person named "Musicus" is mentioned. This Latin form of the name further supports the occupational origin.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "le Musiciun" and "leMusican," reflecting the evolution of the English language and the transition from Old English to Middle English.
The name "Music" was relatively common in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, where several families bearing this surname resided. Some notable individuals from these regions include John Music (born c. 1485), a landowner in Somerset, and Thomas Music (c. 1520-1592), a prominent merchant and alderman in Gloucester.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "Music" began to spread across England, with records showing individuals bearing this name in various locations, such as London, Yorkshire, and Lancashire.
One notable figure from this period was William Music (c. 1545-1622), a composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
In the 18th century, the name "Music" was found in various parts of England, with records indicating families in places like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Norfolk. One notable figure was John Music (1683-1763), a farmer and landowner in Oxfordshire.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to North America, where it was carried by immigrants from England and Scotland.
Throughout its history, the surname "Music" has been associated with various occupations and professions, including musicians, composers, singers, and those involved in the arts and entertainment industry. Some other notable individuals bearing this surname include Robert Music (1748-1825), a Scottish poet and songwriter, and William Music (1830-1910), an English artist and illustrator.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Music
Among Census respondents with the surname Music, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Music 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 Music surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,828
- Two or more races3.5% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 84
- Black or African American1.0% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Music
Music 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
#6,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,940
+708 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 442 places
2020
#7,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,138
-802 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 888 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,267 | 4,232 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,825 | 4,940 | 1.67 | +708 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 442 places |
| 2020 | #7,713 | 4,138 | 1.38 | -802 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 888 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 Music 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 | #6,825 | #7,713 | -13.0% |
| Count | 4,940 | 4,138 | -16.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.38 | -17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Music bearers went from 4,940 to 4,138 (-16.2% change). The surname moved down 888 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,825 to #7,713.
FAQ
Music surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Music?
Name Census estimates that about 4,745 living Americans carry the surname Music. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,235 residents.
How common is Music?
Music ranks #7,713 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,138 people with the surname Music. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Music.
Has Music become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Music went from 4,940 recorded bearers to 4,138. That is a decrease of 802 (-16.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,825 to #7,713.
What does the Census say about the background of Music?
Among Census respondents with the surname Music, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Music in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,828 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Music appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Music (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 Music mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly referring to someone who played or enjoyed music, or lived near a musician. 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 Music (1.38 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 people are called Music?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Music at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.