2000
#14,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Mutter
A German occupational surname referring to a mother, female monastery head, or someone who looks after others.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,186 Americans carry the last name Mutter. That puts it at #14,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,795 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mutter 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 Mutter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,795
Census rank
#14,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,906 bearers of the surname Mutter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mutter
The surname Mutter has its roots in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the German word "mutter," which means "mother." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone's occupation or relation to motherhood.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mutter surname can be found in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in regions of present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One notable example is Johann Mutter, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a trade register dated 1437.
In the 16th century, the Mutter name appeared in several church records and legal documents across central Europe. For instance, the birth of Hans Mutter was recorded in a parish register in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1524. Additionally, a certain Katharina Mutter was mentioned in a land deed from the city of Augsburg in 1587.
As the name spread and evolved, regional variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. In some areas, the name was written as "Muter" or "Muther," while in others, it was spelled "Mütter" or "Mütterer." These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic traditions.
One notable figure in history bearing the Mutter surname was Johann Mutter (1558-1637), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden. His contributions to sacred music and organ compositions were significant during the Renaissance period.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Mutter (1796-1865), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. Born in Nuremberg, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and gained recognition for his intricate etchings and engravings.
In the 19th century, the Mutter name also appeared in various parts of Europe. For example, Johann Mutter (1825-1899) was a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss Federal Assembly, representing the canton of Aargau.
Across the Atlantic, the Mutter surname can be found in early American records, likely brought by German immigrants. One such individual was Philip Mutter (1760-1838), a German-born American farmer and landowner who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.
Throughout its history, the Mutter surname has been associated with various occupations, from artists and musicians to politicians and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mutter
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mutter 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 Mutter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 1,753
- Two or more races3.1% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mutter
Mutter 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
#14,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,094
+119 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 284 places
2020
#14,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,906
-188 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 613 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,012 | 1,975 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,296 | 2,094 | 0.71 | +119 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 284 places |
| 2020 | #14,909 | 1,906 | 0.64 | -188 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 613 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 Mutter 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 | #14,296 | #14,909 | -4.3% |
| Count | 2,094 | 1,906 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.64 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mutter bearers went from 2,094 to 1,906 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 613 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,296 to #14,909.
FAQ
Mutter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mutter?
Name Census estimates that about 2,186 living Americans carry the surname Mutter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,795 residents.
How common is Mutter?
Mutter ranks #14,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,906 people with the surname Mutter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,186), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Mutter.
Has Mutter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mutter went from 2,094 recorded bearers to 1,906. That is a decrease of 188 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,296 to #14,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Mutter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mutter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mutter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (1,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mutter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mutter (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 Mutter mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a mother, female monastery head, or someone who looks after others. 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 Mutter (0.64 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 Mutter?
You can see how many people have the surname Mutter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.