NameCensus.

UK surname

Moat

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a deep, wide trench filled with water.

In the 1881 census there were 579 people recorded with the Moat surname, ranking it #6,018 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 916, ranked #6,229, down from #6,018 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle St Andrew, London parishes and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Tyneside and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moat is 935 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.2%.

1881 census count

579

Ranked #6,018

Modern count

916

2016, ranked #6,229

Peak year

2010

935 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moat had 579 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,018 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 916 in 2016, ranked #6,229.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 797 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Moat surname distribution map

The map shows where the Moat surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Moat surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moat over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 419 #5,808
1861 historical 303 #8,365
1881 historical 579 #6,018
1891 historical 574 #6,631
1901 historical 657 #6,587
1911 historical 797 #5,486
1997 modern 834 #6,331
1998 modern 849 #6,443
1999 modern 866 #6,389
2000 modern 862 #6,377
2001 modern 851 #6,330
2002 modern 875 #6,312
2003 modern 877 #6,199
2004 modern 878 #6,210
2005 modern 876 #6,149
2006 modern 840 #6,374
2007 modern 840 #6,436
2008 modern 841 #6,484
2009 modern 872 #6,437
2010 modern 935 #6,195
2011 modern 914 #6,254
2012 modern 904 #6,231
2013 modern 930 #6,195
2014 modern 931 #6,225
2015 modern 917 #6,239
2016 modern 916 #6,229

Geography

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Where Moats are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle St Andrew, London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Tyneside and Dover. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Newcastle St Andrew Northumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Tyneside 017 North Tyneside
2 North Tyneside 019 North Tyneside
3 North Tyneside 015 North Tyneside
4 Dover 010 Dover
5 North Tyneside 003 North Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moat

These lists show first names that appear often with the Moat surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moat

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moat, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Moat surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Moat household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Moat is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moat is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moat falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moat is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Moat, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moat

The surname "MOAT" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English word "mot," meaning a meeting or assembly. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a place where people gathered for local meetings or councils.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname "MOAT" dates back to the 13th century in the county of Suffolk, England. In 1275, a Robert de la Mote was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Suffolk. This spelling variation, "de la Mote," further supports the theory that the name was originally associated with a location or meeting place.

During the 14th century, the surname "MOAT" started appearing in various records across England. In 1327, a John atte Mote was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex. The prefix "atte" was commonly used at the time to denote a person's place of residence or origin.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "MOAT" was Sir Thomas Moat (c. 1420 – 1492), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1476 and was instrumental in the establishment of the Mercers' Company.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Sir Robert Moat (1560 – 1624), an English politician and Member of Parliament for the borough of Colchester. He played a significant role in the local government of Essex during the reign of King James I.

In the 17th century, the surname "MOAT" also appeared in parts of Scotland. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Alexander Moat (1635 – 1703), a Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1698.

During the 18th century, the surname "MOAT" continued to be found across various regions of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was John Moat (1725 – 1805), a prominent architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the county of Northamptonshire.

As the centuries progressed, the surname "MOAT" branched out and evolved into different spellings, such as "Mote," "Mott," and "Motte." However, the core origin and meaning of the name remained tied to its locational roots, reflecting the importance of gathering places in medieval English communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moat families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moat surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 173 Moats recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.98x.

County Total Index
Kent 173 8.98x
Yorkshire 119 2.13x
Northumberland 101 12.02x
Middlesex 43 0.76x
Surrey 26 0.94x
Suffolk 25 3.63x
Lancashire 24 0.36x
Durham 16 0.95x
Lincolnshire 11 1.22x
Somerset 9 0.99x
Buckinghamshire 5 1.46x
Dunbartonshire 5 3.29x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 4.89x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.39x
Berkshire 2 0.47x
Caithness 2 2.59x
Cumberland 2 0.41x
Orkney 2 3.22x
Gloucestershire 1 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.95x
Norfolk 1 0.12x
Northamptonshire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 1.49x
Staffordshire 1 0.05x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westgate in Northumberland leads with 27 Moats recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.88x.

Place Total Index
Westgate 27 51.88x
Eastry 21 786.52x
Chartham 20 416.67x
Sandwich St Mary 17 971.43x
Folkestone 16 42.80x
Tynemouth 15 33.33x
Lambeth 14 2.84x
Byker 13 31.30x
Whitby 13 68.93x
Newcastle On Tyne St 12 27.55x
Chislet 11 504.59x
Dover St Mary Virgin 10 53.62x
Hackney London 10 3.16x
Sturry 10 438.60x
Holy Trinity 9 6.69x
Leeds 9 2.85x
Lidgate 9 1111.11x
North Petherton 9 122.78x
Chirton 8 42.06x
Thanington Wilton In 8 888.89x
Burnley 7 12.40x
Camberwell 7 1.94x
Deal 7 42.58x
East Cliffe 7 1346.15x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 21.34x
Poplar London 7 6.57x
Sutton Stoneferry 7 43.72x
Fornham St Geneveve 6 3333.33x
Great Mongeham 6 659.34x
Knaresborough 6 68.26x
Long Melford 6 93.90x
Lund 6 674.16x
North Newbald 6 476.19x
Swanland 6 705.88x
Tonbridge 6 8.63x
Ackton 5 364.96x
Adisham 5 568.18x
Canterbury St Paul 5 144.51x
Coxlodge 5 78.25x
Doncaster 5 12.23x
Dumbarton 5 23.66x
Hatfield In Thorne 5 143.27x
Holbeck 5 13.48x
Market Weighton Arras 5 137.36x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 45.25x
Skegness 5 193.05x
St Pancras London 5 1.10x
Wolverton 5 70.72x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 7.67x
Habergham Eaves 4 6.53x
Islington London 4 0.73x
Kensington London 4 1.27x
Longbenton 4 11.24x
Lowestoft 4 12.31x
North Bierley 4 13.24x
North Shields 4 23.85x
Sandwich St Clement 4 245.40x
Stansfield 4 19.42x
Bingham 3 92.59x
Burradon In Tynemouth 3 139.53x
Chiswick 3 9.72x
North Meols 3 4.57x
South Shields 3 20.04x
St Marylebone London 3 0.99x
Walmer 3 35.80x
Westby With Plumpton 3 291.26x
Blackburn 2 1.12x
Chelsea London 2 1.18x
Dover St James 2 23.70x
Elswick 2 2.98x
Epworth 2 47.51x
Great Grimsby 2 3.49x
Lee 2 7.15x
New Windsor 2 14.04x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 3.98x
Olrig 2 51.81x
Rufforth 2 377.36x
Sheffield 2 1.12x
Westoe 2 2.10x
Wolsingham 2 13.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Moat surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 37
Elizabeth 23
Sarah 17
Jane 15
Margaret 15
Eliza 13
Ann 11
Annie 10
Emma 8
Harriet 8
Ellen 7
Emily 6
Ada 5
Edith 5
Louisa 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Catherine 4
Fanny 4
Lucy 4
Alice 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Ethel 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
Nellie 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Caroline 1
Christiana 1
Elesebeth 1
Elizabth. 1
Elizbt. 1
Elizth. 1
Elzth.Ann 1
Jessie 1
Jessy 1
John 1
Katherine 1
Lastitia 1
Thomasina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Moat surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 32
George 26
John 22
Thomas 22
James 16
Henry 15
Alfred 10
Charles 10
Richard 10
Edward 9
Albert 8
Frederick 8
Joseph 7
Robert 7
Arthur 6
Walter 6
Allan 3
Ethelbert 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Roger 3
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Claud 1
Cuthbert 1
David 1
Douglas 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Ephraim 1
Fred 1
Fredeick 1
Geoe.Thos. 1
H. 1
Ingram 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Jones 1
Josiah 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Noah 1
Obed 1
Oswald 1
Philip 1

FAQ

Moat surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moat surname in 1881?

In 1881, 579 people were recorded with the Moat surname. That placed it at #6,018 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moat surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 916 in 2016. That gives Moat a modern rank of #6,229.

What does the Moat surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a deep, wide trench filled with water.

What does the Moat map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Moat bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.