NameCensus.

UK surname

Moffett

A locational surname derived from a place in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, likely meaning "long field" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 247 people recorded with the Moffett surname, ranking it #11,173 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 565, ranked #9,091, up from #11,173 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, South Tyneside and Sevenoaks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moffett is 569 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 128.7%.

1881 census count

247

Ranked #11,173

Modern count

565

2016, ranked #9,091

Peak year

2015

569 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moffett had 247 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,173 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016, ranked #9,091.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 350 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Moffett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moffett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moffett 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 247 #11,173
1891 historical 337 #10,133
1901 historical 331 #10,884
1911 historical 350 #10,262
1997 modern 558 #8,562
1998 modern 562 #8,765
1999 modern 563 #8,812
2000 modern 561 #8,811
2001 modern 560 #8,684
2002 modern 551 #8,973
2003 modern 530 #9,093
2004 modern 528 #9,144
2005 modern 503 #9,405
2006 modern 516 #9,258
2007 modern 519 #9,300
2008 modern 508 #9,521
2009 modern 542 #9,269
2010 modern 553 #9,324
2011 modern 541 #9,400
2012 modern 544 #9,245
2013 modern 560 #9,196
2014 modern 565 #9,191
2015 modern 569 #9,059
2016 modern 565 #9,091

Geography

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Where Moffetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Gateshead, Newcastle All Saints and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, South Tyneside, Sevenoaks, Paisley South West and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 021 Sefton
2 South Tyneside 013 South Tyneside
3 Sevenoaks 014 Sevenoaks
4 Paisley South West Renfrewshire
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 005 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moffett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moffett

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Moffett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Moffett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Moffett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moffett is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moffett falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moffett 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 Moffett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moffett

The surname Moffett has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "mufa," meaning a muff or a small cape, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational one for a maker of muffs or capes.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 14th century, when a John Moffet was mentioned in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1398. The name was also found in various spellings, such as Moffat, Moffatt, Moffitt, and Muffet, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those times.

One notable historical reference to the name Moffett can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a Robert Moffet is listed as a tenant in the lands of Kirkcudbrightshire in 1503. This suggests that the family had established itself in that region by the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Moffett gained prominence with Thomas Moffett (1553-1604), an English naturalist, physician, and writer. He is best known for his work "Insectorum sive Minimorum Animalium Theatrum," one of the earliest works on entomology.

Another notable figure with the surname Moffett was Sir John Moffat (1788-1868), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia from 1835 to 1840.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Moffett dates back to the late 18th century, when a Samuel Moffett was listed in the 1790 census of Virginia.

The name Moffett has also been associated with several places, such as Moffat in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, which likely derived its name from the surname. Similarly, the town of Moffett, Oklahoma, was named after a prominent local family with that surname.

Throughout history, several other individuals have carried the surname Moffett, including Robert Moffett (1795-1851), a Scottish architect who designed many notable buildings in Edinburgh, and John Moffat (1832-1915), a Scottish Presbyterian missionary who worked in Korea.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moffett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moffett 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. Durham leads with 67 Moffetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.31x.

County Total Index
Durham 67 9.31x
Northumberland 46 12.78x
Lancashire 34 1.18x
Middlesex 34 1.41x
Yorkshire 16 0.67x
Cumberland 11 5.28x
Kent 10 1.21x
Surrey 6 0.51x
Ayrshire 5 2.76x
Staffordshire 4 0.49x
Sussex 3 0.74x
Hampshire 2 0.40x
Lanarkshire 2 0.26x
Lincolnshire 2 0.52x
Royal Navy 2 6.94x
Cornwall 1 0.37x
Essex 1 0.21x
Flintshire 1 1.54x
Somerset 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 24 Moffetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.82x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 24 58.82x
Manchester 14 10.84x
Hethersgill 11 2244.90x
Islington London 10 4.26x
Fulwell 9 2045.45x
Great Lumley 8 650.41x
Hetton Le Hole 8 87.72x
Longbenton 8 52.46x
Salford 8 9.48x
St George In East 7 42.53x
Berwick Upon Tweed 6 78.64x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 6 521.74x
Shoreditch London 6 5.72x
Warley 6 86.58x
Framwellgate 5 117.37x
Hulme 5 8.34x
Newton On Ayr 5 92.25x
Stanhope 5 67.29x
Chatham 4 17.61x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.01x
Gateshead 4 7.42x
Lambeth 4 1.90x
Mile End Old Town 4 10.47x
Shawdon 4 5000.00x
Westgate 4 17.95x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.38x
Corbridge 3 227.27x
Deptford St Nicholas 3 45.80x
Liverpool 3 1.72x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 13.95x
Barnsley 2 8.09x
Barony 2 1.01x
Broomhill 2 2000.00x
Broomley 2 625.00x
Fenwick 2 2500.00x
Hedley Woodside 2 540.54x
Longframlington 2 571.43x
Middlesbrough 2 6.41x
Milton In Gravesend 2 16.16x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 10.72x
Preston 2 2.60x
Royal Navy 2 8.12x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 2.31x
Walsall Foreign 2 4.74x
Willington 2 48.08x
Alverstoke 1 5.57x
Bedminster 1 2.73x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.62x
Bodmin 1 22.08x
Clapham 1 3.31x
Egham 1 13.81x
Elswick 1 3.48x
Hackney London 1 0.74x
Hampstead London 1 2.65x
Heckmondwike 1 12.97x
Kepwick 1 714.29x
Leyton Low 1 10.30x
Millbrook 1 8.01x
Moulton 1 53.76x
Newton 1 769.23x
Rhuddlan 1 17.48x
Southcoates 1 7.51x
Southwick 1 46.30x
Spalding 1 13.02x
Spotland 1 3.13x
St George Hanover 1 3.17x
Tonbridge 1 3.36x
Wigan 1 2.49x
Wolsingham 1 15.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Sarah 11
Margaret 10
Elizabeth 9
Jane 8
Isabella 6
Ann 5
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Louisa 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Cathrine 1
Cordelia 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabth 1
Emiley 1
Emmaline 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Janet 1
Jessey 1
Kate 1
Larrey 1
Mariah 1
Martha 1
Phobe 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Moffett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moffett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 247 people were recorded with the Moffett surname. That placed it at #11,173 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moffett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016. That gives Moffett a modern rank of #9,091.

What does the Moffett surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Annandale, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, likely meaning "long field" in Gaelic.

What does the Moffett map show?

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