Explore the Family Name Motter

The meaning of Motter

German: topographic name from Middle High German mot ‘mud, mire’ + the suffix -er denoting an inhabitant.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Motter in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Motter has seen a slight dip in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 10,657th most common, but slightly declined in rank to 10,979 by 2010, representing a minor decrease of 3.02%. However, even as the rank slipped, the actual count of people bearing the surname rose from 2,755 in 2000 to 2,897 in 2010, showing a growth rate of 5.15%. Similarly, the proportion of the population with the surname per 100,000 people saw a small drop from 1.02 to 0.98, a decline of 3.92%.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#10,657	#10,979	-3.02%
Count	2,755	2,897	5.15%
Proportion per 100k	1.02	0.98	-3.92%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Motter

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a diverse range of backgrounds associated with the Motter surname. The largest group, White, comprised 95.86% in 2000 and slightly decreased to 94.89% in 2010. The percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders increased by 35.29%, from 0.51% to 0.69%, over the same period. The proportion of those identifying as two or more races also grew from 1.52% to 1.69%, an increase of 11.18%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation experienced the most significant jump, soaring from just 0.69% in 2000 to 1.62% in 2010, a whopping growth of 134.78%. On the other hand, the percentages of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations within the Motter surname saw decreases of 24.66% and 20.29%, respectively.

	2000	2010	Change
White	95.86%	94.89%	-1.01%
Two or More Races	1.52%	1.69%	11.18%
Hispanic	0.69%	1.62%	134.78%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.51%	0.69%	35.29%
Black	0.73%	0.55%	-24.66%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0.69%	0.55%	-20.29%