Mother's Day Fun Facts

Sure it’s mostly known for counting people but the U.S. Census Bureau also compiles lots of unusual information. Here are the fun facts from the Bureau about mothers.

The driving force behind Mother’s Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. As the annual celebration became popular around the country, Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She finally succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

2

The total fertility rate or number of births per woman in the U.S. in 2009, a decline of

4 percent from 2008 (based on current birth rates by age). 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

85.4 million

Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2008.

Source: Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2008 Panel Wave 2, unpublished

tabulations.

54%

Percentage of 15- to 44-year-old women who were mothers in 2008.

Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008

82%

Percentage of women 40 to 44 who had given birth as of 2008. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.

Source: Fertility of American Women: 2008

2.6

The total fertility rate or number of births in 2008 per woman in Utah (based on current birth rates by age), which led the nation. At the other end of the spectrum is Vermont, with a total fertility rate of 1.7 births per woman.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

94%

Among the 37.8 million mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2004, the percentage who lived with their biological children only. In addition, 3 percent lived with stepchildren, 2 percent with any adopted children and less than 1 percent with any foster children.

Source: Living Arrangements of Children: 2004

4.13 million

Number of births registered in the United States in 2009. Of this number, 409,840 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,934 to mothers 45 to 54.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

25.1

Average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25.0 years in 2006 and 2007. The increase in the mean age from 2007 to 2008 reflects, in part, the relatively large decline in births to women under age 25 compared with the small decline for women in the 25-39 age bracket.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

40%

Percentage of births that were the mother’s first in 2008. Another 32 percent were the

second-born; 17 percent, third; and 7 percent, fourth.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

18,986

Number of births in 2008 that were the mother’s eighth or more.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

42,746

Number of births in 2008 that did not occur in hospitals. Of these, 28,357 were in a residence (home) and 12,014 were in a freestanding birthing center.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

32.6

Number of twin births per 1,000 total births in 2008, the highest rate on record.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

6,268

Number of triplet and higher order multiple births in 2008, the lowest number reported in more than a decade. The 2008 triplet and higher order multiple total included 5,877 triplets, 345 quadruplets, and 46 quintuplets and higher order multiples.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

July

The month with the highest number of births, with 375,384 in 2008.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

Tuesday

The most common day to deliver, with an average of 13,415 births taking place on Tuesdays in 2008.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

Jacob and Isabella

The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively, in 2009.

Source: Social Security Administration