NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Moe

A diminutive form of the name Moses, bearing the Hebrew meaning "from the water".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 4 girls.

Moe is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Moe popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4608, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 3 births.

This profile covers 6 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2010 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 6 living people in the UK are called Moe. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Moe ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 3 boys were registered as Moe.
  • Moe is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 6 living people in the UK are estimated to have Moe as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 60.0% of Moe registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4608

2020

Births in 2020

3

Latest year

Peak year

2010

3 births

Estimated living

6

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Moe

In England and Wales birth records, Moe has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 60.0% of registrations are for boys and 40.0% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

60% boys
40% girls
Boys6 (60.0%)Girls4 (40.0%)

Moe registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,608 in 2020
  • 3 boys registered in 2020
  • Peak: 2010 (3 births)

Moe registered for girls

  • Ranked #3,594 in 2003
  • 4 girls registered in 2003
  • Peak: 2003 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Moe mean?

The name Moe has its origins in several different languages and cultures, with various meanings and etymologies attributed to it.

In English, Moe is often regarded as a diminutive form of the name Maurice, which is derived from the Roman name Mauritius, meaning "dark-skinned" or "moorish." The name Maurice was introduced to England by the Normans and gained popularity during the Middle Ages.

However, Moe also has roots in Japanese culture, where it is a common surname and occasionally a given name. In Japanese, the name 円 (Moe) can mean "circle," "round," or "whole." It is often associated with concepts of completeness, harmony, and unity.

In Arabic, the name موسى (Musa) is a variant of the name Moses, which is derived from the Hebrew name משה (Mosheh), meaning "to draw out" or "to pull out." This name has significant religious and historical significance in the Abrahamic faiths, as it refers to the biblical prophet Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Moe can be found in ancient Japanese literature, where it appears in the 8th-century poetry anthology "Manyoshu." In the Western world, the name gained prominence during the Middle Ages, with notable figures such as Moe of Chartres, a 12th-century French philosopher and theologian.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Moe:

1. Moe Howard (1897-1975), an American actor and comedian, best known as the leader of the Three Stooges comedy team. 2. Moe Yagin (1911-1998), an Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. 3. Moe Bandy (born 1944), an American country music singer and songwriter. 4. Moe Drabowsky (1935-2006), an American professional baseball player who played for several teams in Major League Baseball. 5. Moe Szyslak, a fictional character from the animated sitcom "The Simpsons," known as the bartender at Moe's Tavern.

These examples illustrate the diverse cultural and historical contexts in which the name Moe has been used, reflecting its rich linguistic heritage and enduring popularity across various societies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Moe over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Moe in England and Wales, from 2003 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Moe, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
01234200320112020

Decades

Moe by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Moe was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4608 3 1
2010s #4678 3 1

Related

Names similar to Moe

FAQ

Moe: questions and answers

How popular is the name Moe in the UK right now?

In 2020, Moe was ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Moe most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 3 babies registered as Moe in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Moe?

A diminutive form of the name Moses, bearing the Hebrew meaning "from the water".

How many people are called Moe in the UK?

A total of 6 babies have been registered as Moe across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.