2000
#8,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,585
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Molitor
An occupational surname referring to a miller, derived from the Latin "molitor," meaning "one who grinds grain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,225 Americans carry the last name Molitor. That puts it at #8,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molitor 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
4.2K
1 in 81,125
Census rank
#8,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,684 bearers of the surname Molitor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molitor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molitor
The surname Molitor originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word 'molitor', meaning 'miller' or 'one who operates a mill'. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked in mills, grinding grain into flour.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Molitor can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, which mentions a 'Henricus Molitor' in 1190. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Breviarium Ecclesiae Constantiensis from 1347, which lists a 'Conradus Molitor'.
During the Middle Ages, the Molitor surname was predominantly found in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where many mills were located along the rivers and streams. The town of Molitors, located in the district of Fulda in Hesse, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the Molitor family who lived there.
One notable individual with the surname Molitor was Johann Molitor, a German theologian and astrologer who lived from 1435 to 1508. He was a professor at the University of Trier and wrote several influential works on astrology and the interpretation of dreams.
Another famous Molitor was Eberhard Molitor, a German Renaissance painter and engraver who lived from around 1525 to 1585. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Germany.
In the 17th century, the Molitor family produced a notable member in the form of Johann Peter Molitor, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1622 to 1695. He served as a professor of law at the University of Mainz and wrote several important works on legal theory and practice.
The 18th century saw the birth of Johann Michael Molitor, a German composer and organist who lived from 1711 to 1785. He is best known for his organ compositions and his work as the court organist in Bamberg.
In more recent history, Gabriel Molitor, a French-German general who lived from 1770 to 1849, gained fame for his military service during the Napoleonic Wars. He fought in several major battles and was awarded the title of Count by Napoleon himself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molitor
Among Census respondents with the surname Molitor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Molitor 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 Molitor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 3,433
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 115
- Two or more races2.8% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molitor
Molitor 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
#8,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,712
+127 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 357 places
2020
#8,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,684
-28 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Up 248 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,465 | 3,585 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,822 | 3,712 | 1.26 | +127 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 357 places |
| 2020 | #8,574 | 3,684 | 1.23 | -28 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 248 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 Molitor 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 | #8,822 | #8,574 | 2.8% |
| Count | 3,712 | 3,684 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.23 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molitor bearers went from 3,712 to 3,684 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 248 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,822 to #8,574.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Molitor
FAQ
Molitor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molitor?
Name Census estimates that about 4,225 living Americans carry the surname Molitor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,125 residents.
How common is Molitor?
Molitor ranks #8,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,684 people with the surname Molitor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Molitor.
Has Molitor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molitor went from 3,712 recorded bearers to 3,684. That is a decrease of 28 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,822 to #8,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Molitor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molitor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Molitor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (3,433 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molitor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (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 Molitor (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 Molitor mean?
An occupational surname referring to a miller, derived from the Latin "molitor," meaning "one who grinds grain." 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 Molitor (1.23 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 Molitor?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.