2000
#13,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,075
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Mutchler
An occupational surname for a muzzle loader or armorer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,281 Americans carry the last name Mutchler. That puts it at #14,444 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,265 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mutchler 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
2.3K
1 in 150,265
Census rank
#14,444
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,989 bearers of the surname Mutchler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14444th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutchler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mutchler
The surname Mutchler is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Old German words "mut" and "schal," which together mean "loud" or "boisterous."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mutchler can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Mutchler is mentioned as a resident in the year 1488. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, the Mutchler surname appears to have spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries, such as Switzerland and Austria. This was likely due to the migration of families and individuals during the turbulent times of the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War.
The first known Mutchler to emigrate to the Americas was Johann Mutchler, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749. He was among the many German immigrants who sought new opportunities and religious freedom in the British colonies.
One notable individual with the Mutchler surname was Johann Georg Mutchler (1732-1811), a German clockmaker and inventor who is credited with developing the first portable pendulum clock. His contributions to the field of timekeeping were significant during the 18th century.
Another prominent figure was Anna Mutchler (1804-1887), a German-born American missionary and educator who dedicated her life to serving the Native American communities in Wisconsin. She established several schools and played a crucial role in promoting education and cultural exchange.
In the 19th century, the Mutchler family had a strong presence in the state of Indiana, where several individuals with this surname made their mark. Jacob Mutchler (1810-1892) was a prominent farmer and landowner in Decatur County, while his cousin, William Mutchler (1818-1901), served as a county commissioner and was involved in local politics.
One of the most notable Mutchlers of the 20th century was Charles Mutchler (1912-1997), a talented artist and illustrator from Ohio. He is best known for his illustrations in children's books, including several works by renowned authors like Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.
While the Mutchler surname may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history that spans centuries and continents, with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, from timekeeping and education to art and agriculture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mutchler
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutchler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mutchler 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 Mutchler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 1,831
- Two or more races2.9% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 26
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mutchler
Mutchler 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
#14,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,128
+53 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 660 places
2020
#14,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,989
-139 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 325 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,459 | 2,075 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,119 | 2,128 | 0.72 | +53 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 660 places |
| 2020 | #14,444 | 1,989 | 0.67 | -139 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 325 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 Mutchler 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 | #14,119 | #14,444 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,128 | 1,989 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.67 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mutchler bearers went from 2,128 to 1,989 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 325 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,119 to #14,444.
FAQ
Mutchler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mutchler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,281 living Americans carry the surname Mutchler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,265 residents.
How common is Mutchler?
Mutchler ranks #14,444 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,989 people with the surname Mutchler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Mutchler.
Has Mutchler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mutchler went from 2,128 recorded bearers to 1,989. That is a decrease of 139 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,119 to #14,444.
What does the Census say about the background of Mutchler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutchler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Mutchler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (1,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mutchler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Mutchler (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 Mutchler mean?
An occupational surname for a muzzle loader or armorer. 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 Mutchler (0.67 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 have the surname Mutchler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.