2000
#748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,062
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.59
Uncommon Last name
Moon
An English surname derived from the Old English word "mona," referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 52,558 Americans carry the last name Moon. That puts it at #736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,521 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moon 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 Moon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
53K
1 in 6,521
Census rank
#736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
46K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 45,833 bearers of the surname Moon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Black (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moon
The surname Moon has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mone," which means "moon." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or a descriptive name to someone who had a distinctive appearance or personality associated with the moon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moon can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where a person named Walter le Mone is mentioned. The presence of the prefix "le" in this early spelling highlights the name's descriptive nature.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Moon appeared in various records across England, often with different spellings such as Mone, Moone, and Mune. These variations were common during the period when surnames were still evolving and becoming hereditary.
In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, the name Moon is listed as Moone, suggesting its spread across different regions of England. Additionally, the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1349 mentions a person named John Mone, further demonstrating the surname's prevalence in medieval England.
The Moon surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir George Moon, a British diplomat and politician who lived from 1608 to 1679. He served as an ambassador to various European courts and played a significant role in the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II.
Another prominent individual with the surname Moon was William Moon, born in 1818 and died in 1894. He was an English educator and inventor who developed an embossed reading system for the blind, known as Moon's Alphabet or Moon Type. His work greatly contributed to the education and empowerment of individuals with visual impairments.
In the literary world, William Least Heat-Moon, born in 1939, is a renowned American writer and author of the bestselling travelogue "Blue Highways." His surname, Heat-Moon, is a combination of his mother's maiden name (Heat) and his father's surname (Moon).
Matthew Moon, born in 1985, is a British actor known for his roles in various television series and films, including "Yellowjackets" and "Strangers."
Lastly, Sarah Moon, born in 1941, is a highly acclaimed French photographer and filmmaker. Her distinctive style and artistic vision have earned her numerous awards and recognition in the world of fashion and fine art photography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moon
Among Census respondents with the surname Moon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Black (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Moon 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 Moon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.1% · 28,451
- Asian and Pacific Islander20.2% · 9,255
- Black or African American9.4% · 4,298
- Two or more races4.6% · 2,088
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 1,331
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 410
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moon
Moon 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
#758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,528
+3,466 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 15.43
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,833
+305 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 15.33
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #748 | 42,062 | 15.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #758 | 45,528 | 15.43 | +3,466 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #736 | 45,833 | 15.33 | +305 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 22 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 Moon 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 | #758 | #736 | 2.9% |
| Count | 45,528 | 45,833 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 15.43 | 15.33 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moon bearers went from 45,528 to 45,833 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #758 to #736.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Moon
FAQ
Moon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moon?
Name Census estimates that about 52,558 living Americans carry the surname Moon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,521 residents.
How common is Moon?
Moon ranks #736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 45,833 people with the surname Moon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (52,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Moon.
Has Moon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moon went from 45,528 recorded bearers to 45,833. That is an increase of 305 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #758 to #736.
What does the Census say about the background of Moon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%) and Black (9.4%). 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 Moon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.1% (28,451 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (20.2%), Black (9.4%). 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 Moon (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 Moon mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "mona," referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill. 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 Moon (15.33 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 Moon?
You can see how many people have the surname Moon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.