2000
#417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 70,211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 26.03
Common Last name
Molina
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a mill or worked as a miller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111,977 Americans carry the last name Molina. That puts it at #316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 32.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molina 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 Molina with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
112K
1 in 3,061
Census rank
#316
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97,649 bearers of the surname Molina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 32.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molina
The surname Molina originates from Spain and traces its roots back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "molino," which means "mill." The name likely originated in areas where mills were prevalent or owned by families involved in milling operations.
One of the earliest known references to the name Molina can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval record of landholdings and properties from the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Molina residing in various regions of Spain, including Castile and León.
During the Middle Ages, the name Molina was often associated with noble families or those with ties to the milling industry. In the late 15th century, a prominent figure named Luis de Molina (1535-1600) emerged as a renowned Jesuit scholar and theologian, known for his contributions to the doctrine of divine grace.
Another notable individual with the surname Molina was Tirso de Molina (1579-1648), a Spanish playwright and poet who gained fame for his works, including the play "El Burlador de Sevilla y Convidado de Piedra," which introduced the legendary character of Don Juan.
In the 17th century, Juan Ignacio Molina (1679-1736) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.
Moving forward to the 19th century, José Joaquín Molina (1825-1890) was a prominent Chilean naturalist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of the flora and fauna of Chile.
Another individual of note was Enrique Molina Campos (1871-1964), a Chilean politician and diplomat who served as the President of Chile from 1925 to 1927.
The surname Molina has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, such as Molina de Aragón and Molina de Segura, further emphasizing its connection to the milling industry and the geographic areas where mills were once abundant.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molina
Among Census respondents with the surname Molina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Molina 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 Molina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.9% · 87,793
- White5.8% · 5,680
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 2,497
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 597
- Black or African American0.6% · 557
- Two or more races0.5% · 525
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molina
Molina 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
#320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96,979
+26,768 bearers (+38.1%)
Per 100,000 32.88
Rank movement Up 97 places
2020
#316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,649
+670 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 32.67
Rank movement Up 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #417 | 70,211 | 26.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #320 | 96,979 | 32.88 | +26,768 bearers (+38.1%) | Up 97 places |
| 2020 | #316 | 97,649 | 32.67 | +670 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 4 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 Molina 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 | #320 | #316 | 1.3% |
| Count | 96,979 | 97,649 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 32.88 | 32.67 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molina bearers went from 96,979 to 97,649 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #320 to #316.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Molina
FAQ
Molina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molina?
Name Census estimates that about 111,977 living Americans carry the surname Molina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,061 residents.
How common is Molina?
Molina ranks #316 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 32.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 33 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97,649 people with the surname Molina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111,977), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 32.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 32.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 33 of them to have the surname Molina.
Has Molina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molina went from 96,979 recorded bearers to 97,649. That is an increase of 670 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #320 to #316.
What does the Census say about the background of Molina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Molina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (87,793 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.9%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). 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 Molina (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 Molina mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a mill or worked as a miller. 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 Molina (32.67 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 Molina?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.