2000
#5,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.27
Rare Last name
Moritz
Derived from the Latin name Mauritius, meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moorish."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,943 Americans carry the last name Moritz. That puts it at #5,547 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,367 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moritz 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
6.9K
1 in 49,367
Census rank
#5,547
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,055 bearers of the surname Moritz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5547th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moritz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moritz
The surname Moritz is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German name "Mauritz," which in turn stems from the Latin name "Mauritius." The name ultimately traces its roots to the Greek word "mauros," meaning "dark" or "swarthy."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moritz surname appears in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the Abbey of Corvey in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This document, dating back to the 9th century, mentions a certain "Mauricius" who owned land in the region.
During the Middle Ages, the name Moritz gained popularity among German nobility and aristocracy. One notable example is Moritz von Sachsen, also known as Maurice of Saxony, a 16th-century military leader and Elector of Saxony (1521-1553). He played a pivotal role in the Schmalkaldic War and the Reformation in Germany.
Another historical figure bearing the Moritz surname was Johann Moritz, a 17th-century German painter and etcher (1604-1675). He was a leading artist of the Baroque period and is renowned for his etchings depicting scenes from the Thirty Years' War.
In the 18th century, the Moritz surname gained prominence in the scientific community with the work of Karl Philipp Moritz (1756-1793), a German author, editor, and educator. He was a significant figure in the Sturm und Drang literary movement and is considered one of the pioneers of modern psychology.
The 19th century saw the rise of Wilhelm Moritz, a German philosopher and playwright (1786-1859). He is best known for his work "Die Göttin von Milet" (The Goddess of Miletus), which explored the themes of Greek mythology and the role of women in society.
Another notable figure with the Moritz surname is Theodor Moritz, a German chemist and inventor (1837-1904). He is credited with developing the first synthetic dye, known as Mauveine, which revolutionized the textile industry and paved the way for the modern chemical industry.
While the surname Moritz originated in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval German lands, where it first emerged as a distinct surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moritz
Among Census respondents with the surname Moritz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Moritz 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 Moritz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 5,558
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 233
- Two or more races2.9% · 173
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 27
- Black or African American0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moritz
Moritz 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
#5,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,216
+91 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 360 places
2020
#5,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,055
-161 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Up 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,236 | 6,125 | 2.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,596 | 6,216 | 2.11 | +91 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 360 places |
| 2020 | #5,547 | 6,055 | 2.03 | -161 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 49 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 Moritz 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 | #5,596 | #5,547 | 0.9% |
| Count | 6,216 | 6,055 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 2.03 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moritz bearers went from 6,216 to 6,055 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,596 to #5,547.
FAQ
Moritz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moritz?
Name Census estimates that about 6,943 living Americans carry the surname Moritz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,367 residents.
How common is Moritz?
Moritz ranks #5,547 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,055 people with the surname Moritz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,943), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Moritz.
Has Moritz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moritz went from 6,216 recorded bearers to 6,055. That is a decrease of 161 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,596 to #5,547.
What does the Census say about the background of Moritz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moritz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moritz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (5,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moritz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Moritz (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 Moritz mean?
Derived from the Latin name Mauritius, meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moorish." 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 Moritz (2.03 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 are called Moritz?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Moritz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.