2000
#81,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Montooth
Possibly derived from "Montana" and referring to someone living near or originating from a mountainous region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 346 Americans carry the last name Montooth. That puts it at #69,958 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 990,619 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montooth 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
346
1 in 990,619
Census rank
#69,958
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
302
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 302 bearers of the surname Montooth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69958th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montooth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montooth
The surname MONTOOTH has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic term "monaidh," which means "hill" or "moor," and the word "tòth," which translates to "burning" or "scorching." This combination suggests a connection to a particular geographical feature, possibly a burned or scorched hill or moorland.
In the 15th century, the MONTOOTH name appears in the Ragman Rolls, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296. This early mention indicates that the MONTOOTH family held a significant position in the Scottish Highlands during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MONTOOTH surname can be found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th-century manuscript documenting the history and landholdings of the Campbell clan in Perthshire. The book mentions a certain Malcolm MONTOOTH, who lived in the late 1500s and held lands near the village of Kenmore.
In the 17th century, the MONTOOTH name was associated with the Clan MacGregor, a prominent Highland clan known for their involvement in various conflicts and feuds. Sir Gregor MONTOOTH (1612-1689) was a notable figure in this clan, serving as a skilled negotiator and diplomat during the turbulent times of the Scottish Civil War.
Another prominent individual bearing the MONTOOTH name was Angus MONTOOTH (1715-1792), a Scottish Jacobite who fought alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Despite the failure of the uprising, Angus MONTOOTH's bravery and loyalty earned him a place in the annals of Scottish history.
In the 19th century, the MONTOOTH name gained recognition through the works of the Scottish author and poet, Robert MONTOOTH (1810-1882). His writings captured the essence of Highland life and culture, and his poems were widely celebrated for their vivid descriptions and lyrical quality.
The MONTOOTH surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Montooth Hill near Aberfeldy and Montooth Loch in Perthshire. These place names likely reflect the geographical origins of the surname and its connection to the rugged Highland landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montooth
Among Census respondents with the surname Montooth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Montooth 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 Montooth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 264
- Two or more races6.3% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 14
- Black or African American1.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montooth
Montooth 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
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
-21 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 12,611 places
2020
#69,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302
+108 bearers (+55.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 24,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,700 | 215 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | -21 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,611 places |
| 2020 | #69,958 | 302 | 0.10 | +108 bearers (+55.7%) | Up 24,353 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 Montooth 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 | #94,311 | #69,958 | 25.8% |
| Count | 194 | 302 | 55.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.10 | 44.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montooth bearers went from 194 to 302 (+55.7% change). The surname moved up 24,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #69,958.
FAQ
Montooth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montooth?
Name Census estimates that about 346 living Americans carry the surname Montooth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 990,619 residents.
How common is Montooth?
Montooth ranks #69,958 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 302 people with the surname Montooth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Montooth.
Has Montooth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montooth went from 194 recorded bearers to 302. That is an increase of 108 (+55.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #94,311 to #69,958.
What does the Census say about the background of Montooth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montooth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Montooth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montooth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Montooth (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 Montooth mean?
Possibly derived from "Montana" and referring to someone living near or originating from a mountainous region. 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 Montooth (0.10 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 share the surname Montooth?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.