2000
#96,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Muther
A surname likely of German or Low German origin, derived from the word 'mutter' meaning mother.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 220 Americans carry the last name Muther. That puts it at #100,469 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,557,974 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muther 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
220
1 in 1,557,974
Census rank
#100,469
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
192
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 192 bearers of the surname Muther in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 100469th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muther, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muther
The surname MUTHER originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "muoter," meaning "mother." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a mother or had a strong maternal connection.
The earliest known record of the MUTHER surname appears in a document from the city of Cologne in 1283, where a man named Heinrich Muther is mentioned. Another early reference can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a Johann Muther was recorded in 1427.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the MUTHER name was primarily concentrated in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Some variations in spelling, such as Mutter and Muter, were also observed during this time.
One notable individual bearing the MUTHER surname was Johann Muther (1468-1537), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Erfurt. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and wrote several works on theology and ethics.
Another significant figure was Johann Muther (1617-1687), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) in the court of the Count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. His compositions, particularly his sacred works, were highly regarded during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the MUTHER surname gained recognition through the work of Richard Muther (1856-1909), a German industrial engineer and pioneer in the field of production management. His book, "Rationalisation du travail à l'usine" ("Rationalization of Work in the Factory"), published in 1886, had a significant influence on modern industrial practices.
Another notable figure was Hermann Muther (1885-1962), a German art historian and critic who specialized in the study of modern art movements. His writings, particularly on Impressionism and Expressionism, were influential in shaping the understanding and appreciation of these artistic styles.
The MUTHER surname has also been associated with several places in Germany, such as the town of Muthmannshofen in Bavaria, which may have derived its name from a person named MUTHER in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muther
Among Census respondents with the surname Muther, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Muther 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 Muther surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 11
- Black or African American1.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muther
Muther 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
-41 bearers (-23.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 30,732 places
2020
#100,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
+57 bearers (+42.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 26,296 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,033 | 176 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | -41 bearers (-23.3%) | Down 30,732 places |
| 2020 | #100,469 | 192 | 0.06 | +57 bearers (+42.2%) | Up 26,296 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 Muther 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 | #126,765 | #100,469 | 20.7% |
| Count | 135 | 192 | 42.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 28.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muther bearers went from 135 to 192 (+42.2% change). The surname moved up 26,296 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #100,469.
FAQ
Muther surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muther?
Name Census estimates that about 220 living Americans carry the surname Muther. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,557,974 residents.
How common is Muther?
Muther ranks #100,469 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 192 people with the surname Muther. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (220), 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 Muther.
Has Muther become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muther went from 135 recorded bearers to 192. That is an increase of 57 (+42.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #126,765 to #100,469.
What does the Census say about the background of Muther?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muther, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Muther in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muther appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (5.7%), Black (1.6%). 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 Muther (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 Muther mean?
A surname likely of German or Low German origin, derived from the word 'mutter' meaning mother. 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 Muther (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 people have the last name Muther?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Muther is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.