Explore the Family Name Most
The meaning of Most
1. German: metonymic occupational name for a producer or seller of must, i.e. unfermented grape juice, Middle High (and Low) German most (from Latin mustum vinum ‘young (i.e. fresh) wine’). The same term was also used to denote perry and cider, since these do not keep well and need to be drunk while still fresh. 2. Dutch (Van der Most): topographic name for someone who lived by marshy land, from Middle Dutch mos, most ‘pool, swamp, bog’. 3. Polish and Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): topographic name from Slavic most ‘bridge’, or a habitational name from any of several places called with this word. 4. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from German Most ‘young (i.e. fresh) wine’ (see 1 above), one of surnames distributed at random by Austrian clerks. 5. English (Lancashire): variant of Must. This form of the surname is rare in Britain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Most in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Most' has seen some fluctuations over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 15125 but fell to 17216 in 2010, marking a decrease of approximately 13.82%. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname declined from 1789 in 2000 to 1645 in 2010, which is an 8.05% decrease. Furthermore, the proportion per 100k people also dropped by 15.15%, moving from 0.66 in 2000 to 0.56 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,125 | #17,216 | -13.82% |
| Count | 1,789 | 1,645 | -8.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.66 | 0.56 | -15.15% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Most
The ethnicity breakdown for the surname 'Most' indicates some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of people with this surname who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander nearly tripled, increasing from 0.61% to 1.52%. However, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 35.82%, from 0.67% to 0.43%. Individuals identifying as White remained the majority, albeit with a slight decrease of 0.61%. The proportion of Hispanic individuals increased by 47.37%, while the Black population saw a modest increase of 7.14%. Those identifying as Two or more races experienced a decrease of 28.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.53% | 94.95% | -0.61% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.61% | 1.52% | 149.18% |
| Two or More Races | 1.96% | 1.4% | -28.57% |
| Hispanic | 0.95% | 1.4% | 47.37% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.67% | 0.43% | -35.82% |
| Black | 0.28% | 0.3% | 7.14% |