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

From The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 10393—Mother's Day, 2022, “Every Mother's Day, we give special thanks to honor and celebrate the mothers in our lives. Mothers across America provide unconditional love and extraordinary strength. They are our rocks in moments of crisis and our guiding lights when we need it most. Our Nation would not be where we are today without their enduring foundation of love and support.”

Key Stats

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table S1301, Fertility — see columns for Women with births in the past 12 months

Note: The table above is cropped at the bottom and the column, “Percent of women who had a birth in the past 12 months who were unmarried” is hidden. Click on the image for the full table.

More Stats

How Many Mothers?

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table B13002, Women 15 to 50 Years Who Had a Birth in the Past 12 Months by Marital Status and Age

Table S1301, Fertility — notice Women with births in the past 12 months

Source: 2020 Current Population Survey (CPS) and 2019 American Community Survey (ACS).

Fertility of Women in the United States: 2020, detailed tables (Table 7 is 2019 ACS)

How Many Children?

Source: 2020 Current Population Survey (CPS), June Fertility Supplement

Note: Visit this page for all the tables in this section.

Table 1. Women's Number of Children Ever Born by Age and Marital Status: June 2020 [<1.0 MB]

Table 2. Children Ever Born, Number of Mothers, and Percent Childless by Age and Marital Status, and by Nativity: June 2020 [<1.0 MB]

Table 3. Children Ever Born per 1,000 Women and Percent Childless by Age and Marital Status: June 2020 [<1.0 MB]

Characteristics of Women with a Recent Birth

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table S1301, Fertility — note columns for Women with births in the past 12 months

Stay-at-Home Mom

Source: Current Population Survey (CPS), 2022 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Table FG8, Opposite-Sex Married Couple Family Groups With Children Under 15 by Stay-at-Home Status of Both Spouses: 2022 [<1.0 MB]

Taking Care of the Kids

Source: Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) (2009-2023).

6244: Child Day Care Services: U.S. Total Revenue

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP).

Table CB2100CBP, All Sectors: County Business Patterns, including ZIP Code Business Patterns, by Legal Form of Organization and Employment Size Class for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2021, showing NAICS 6244, Child Day Care Services

Source: 2019 Nonemployer Statistics (NES).

Table NS1900NONEMP, All Sectors: Nonemployer Statistics for the U.S., States, Counties, Metropolitan Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas; and by Legal Form of Organization and Sales, Value of Shipments, or Revenue Size for Selected Geographies: 2019, showing NAICS 6244, Child Day Care Services

Mothers Celebrated

Source: Monthly Retail Trade Survey (1992-2023).

446: Health and Personal Care Stores: U.S. Total Sales

44812: Women's Clothing Stores: U.S. Total Sales

45322: Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores: U.S. Total Sales

Source: 2021 County Business Patterns (CBP).

NAICS 44612, Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Stores
NAICS 44831, Jewelry Stores
NAICS 45311, Florists
NAICS 511191, Greeting Card Publishers

From Census.gov / Business and Economy / International Trade Data:

USA Trade Online — The Official Source of Trade Statistics

Note: After you create an account, select options for State Export Data (Origin of Movement) or State Import Data (State of Destination) by Harmonized System (HS) or NAICS. Select State, Measures, Commodity, (flowers, jewelry) Country, and Time for data. More information can be found in the Quick Start Guide.