NameCensus.

UK surname

Moe

A variant of the Scottish surname Mow, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for someone with a crop of thick hair.

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Moe surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Edmundsbury, Brent and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moe is 132 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1100.0%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

2016

132 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moe had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 29 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Moe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moe 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 29 #28,082
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1901 historical 18 #32,032
1997 modern 47 #32,975
1998 modern 45 #33,374
1999 modern 57 #32,367
2000 modern 50 #33,087
2001 modern 52 #32,764
2002 modern 63 #32,113
2003 modern 65 #31,979
2004 modern 64 #32,286
2005 modern 73 #31,616
2006 modern 77 #31,510
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Moes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Edmundsbury, Brent, Dover and Westminster. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Edmundsbury 014 St Edmundsbury
2 Brent 027 Brent
3 Dover 012 Dover
4 Brent 031 Brent
5 Westminster 020 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moe

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moe, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Moe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Moe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Moe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moe is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moe falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Moe

The surname "Moe" is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic word "muohi," meaning "marshy meadow" or "swamp," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname lived near or worked on marshy lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Moe" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a landowner named "Heinrich Muohe" in the year 1162.

In the 13th century, the name "Moe" appeared in various forms, such as "Mue," "Muwe," and "Muh," reflecting regional spelling variations. These variations can be found in the Breviarium Monasterii Campi Sancti, a historical record from the monastery of Kamp in the Netherlands, where a certain "Johannes Mue" is mentioned in 1278.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname "Moe." However, it is possible that some early bearers of the name migrated to England from continental Europe during the Norman Conquest or in subsequent centuries.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname "Moe" include:

1. Hans Moe (c. 1515-1589), a German painter and engraver known for his religious artwork in the Renaissance style. 2. Jørgen Moe (1813-1882), a Norwegian scholar and writer who, along with Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, collected and published a famous anthology of Norwegian folk tales. 3. Martha Moe (1855-1925), a Norwegian painter and one of the first women to receive formal art training in Norway. 4. Henry Allen Moe (1894-1975), an American educator and the sixth president of the Guggenheim Foundation. 5. Vebjørn Moe (1911-1982), a Norwegian architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of Oslo after World War II.

While the surname "Moe" has spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration, its roots can be traced back to the marshy regions of Germany, where it originated as a descriptive name for those who lived or worked in swampy areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moe 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. Staffordshire leads with 3 Moes recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.60x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 3 7.60x
Yorkshire 3 2.59x
Lancashire 2 1.44x
Middlesex 2 1.71x
Perthshire 1 19.08x
Surrey 1 1.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 3 Moes recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.14x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 3 107.14x
Darlaston 2 363.64x
Logie 1 526.32x
Mile End Old Town 1 54.35x
North Meols 1 73.53x
St George Hanover 1 65.36x
Streatham 1 114.94x
Wednesbury 1 101.01x
Worsley 1 117.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Angelina 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Julie 1
Mary 1
Nanny 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
George 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Moe households.

FAQ

Moe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Moe surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Moe a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Moe surname mean?

A variant of the Scottish surname Mow, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for someone with a crop of thick hair.

What does the Moe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Moe 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.