NameCensus.

UK surname

Moon

An English surname derived from the Old English word "mona," referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill.

In the 1881 census there were 6,287 people recorded with the Moon surname, ranking it #687 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,126, ranked #939, down from #687 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Preston, Derbyshire Dales and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moon is 7,882 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.3%.

1881 census count

6,287

Ranked #687

Modern count

7,126

2016, ranked #939

Peak year

1911

7,882 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moon had 6,287 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #687 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,126 in 2016, ranked #939.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,882 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moon 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 4,199 #679
1861 historical 4,618 #618
1881 historical 6,287 #687
1891 historical 6,367 #730
1901 historical 7,256 #755
1911 historical 7,882 #651
1997 modern 7,165 #906
1998 modern 7,373 #920
1999 modern 7,464 #913
2000 modern 7,294 #929
2001 modern 7,076 #936
2002 modern 7,157 #943
2003 modern 6,949 #944
2004 modern 6,948 #947
2005 modern 6,862 #948
2006 modern 6,761 #964
2007 modern 6,848 #962
2008 modern 6,865 #969
2009 modern 7,004 #969
2010 modern 7,178 #964
2011 modern 7,141 #953
2012 modern 7,044 #942
2013 modern 7,189 #938
2014 modern 7,219 #939
2015 modern 7,146 #937
2016 modern 7,126 #939

Geography

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Where Moons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe and Tunbridge, Bidborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Preston, Derbyshire Dales, Swale, Wakefield and Mid Devon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe Somerset
4 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Preston 013 Preston
2 Derbyshire Dales 009 Derbyshire Dales
3 Swale 015 Swale
4 Wakefield 011 Wakefield
5 Mid Devon 003 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moon

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Moon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Moon 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Moon 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

Moon is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moon falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Moon

The surname Moon has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mone," which means "moon." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or a descriptive name to someone who had a distinctive appearance or personality associated with the moon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moon can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where a person named Walter le Mone is mentioned. The presence of the prefix "le" in this early spelling highlights the name's descriptive nature.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Moon appeared in various records across England, often with different spellings such as Mone, Moone, and Mune. These variations were common during the period when surnames were still evolving and becoming hereditary.

In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, the name Moon is listed as Moone, suggesting its spread across different regions of England. Additionally, the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1349 mentions a person named John Mone, further demonstrating the surname's prevalence in medieval England.

The Moon surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir George Moon, a British diplomat and politician who lived from 1608 to 1679. He served as an ambassador to various European courts and played a significant role in the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II.

Another prominent individual with the surname Moon was William Moon, born in 1818 and died in 1894. He was an English educator and inventor who developed an embossed reading system for the blind, known as Moon's Alphabet or Moon Type. His work greatly contributed to the education and empowerment of individuals with visual impairments.

In the literary world, William Least Heat-Moon, born in 1939, is a renowned American writer and author of the bestselling travelogue "Blue Highways." His surname, Heat-Moon, is a combination of his mother's maiden name (Heat) and his father's surname (Moon).

Matthew Moon, born in 1985, is a British actor known for his roles in various television series and films, including "Yellowjackets" and "Strangers."

Lastly, Sarah Moon, born in 1941, is a highly acclaimed French photographer and filmmaker. Her distinctive style and artistic vision have earned her numerous awards and recognition in the world of fashion and fine art photography.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moon 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. Lancashire leads with 793 Moons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.08x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 793 1.08x
Kent 590 2.81x
Sussex 526 5.06x
Somerset 522 5.26x
Middlesex 521 0.85x
Yorkshire 433 0.71x
Surrey 392 1.31x
Cornwall 297 4.26x
Devon 239 1.86x
Durham 210 1.15x
Derbyshire 209 2.17x
Hampshire 173 1.37x
Gloucestershire 172 1.42x
Warwickshire 116 0.75x
Wiltshire 97 1.78x
Staffordshire 91 0.44x
Cheshire 74 0.54x
Angus 71 1.24x
Glamorgan 66 0.62x
Lanarkshire 64 0.32x
Leicestershire 54 0.79x
Worcestershire 54 0.67x
Northumberland 52 0.57x
Essex 44 0.36x
Lincolnshire 41 0.42x
Monmouthshire 39 0.88x
Channel Islands 36 1.97x
Westmorland 31 2.29x
Northamptonshire 30 0.52x
Norfolk 27 0.29x
Perthshire 26 0.94x
Midlothian 21 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.46x
Berkshire 17 0.37x
Hertfordshire 14 0.33x
Bedfordshire 12 0.38x
Cumberland 12 0.23x
Dorset 12 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.14x
Royal Navy 10 1.36x
Merionethshire 9 0.80x
Montgomeryshire 9 0.64x
Ayrshire 8 0.17x
Oxfordshire 8 0.21x
Berwickshire 7 0.94x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.19x
Clackmannanshire 7 1.38x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.36x
Suffolk 7 0.09x
Renfrewshire 6 0.13x
Stirlingshire 4 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.08x
Fife 2 0.05x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.16x
Inverness-shire 2 0.11x
Isle of Man 2 0.17x
Kincardineshire 2 0.27x
Radnorshire 2 0.40x
Shropshire 2 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.07x
East Lothian 1 0.12x
Flintshire 1 0.06x
Rutland 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 104 Moons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.96x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 104 4.96x
Preston 96 4.91x
Shepton Mallet 70 62.90x
St Pancras London 66 1.33x
Tonbridge 63 8.31x
Lambeth 62 1.15x
Liskeard 60 51.40x
Eccleston In Chorley 59 310.85x
Camberwell 54 1.37x
Midsomer Norton 54 57.79x
Islington London 52 0.87x
Frant 44 59.77x
Stoke Damerel 44 4.90x
Camerton 43 148.89x
Chorley 43 10.48x
Liverpool 42 0.95x
Shoreditch London 42 1.57x
Camborne 41 14.26x
Maidstone 41 6.55x
Portsea 37 1.49x
Hove 34 7.46x
Ilkeston 34 12.57x
Trowbridge 34 14.11x
Aston 32 0.75x
Birmingham 31 0.60x
St Marylebone London 31 0.94x
Bedwellty 29 3.69x
Kenwyn 29 15.90x
Woodplumpton 28 107.16x
Godalming 27 14.28x
Otley 27 18.21x
Croydon 26 1.56x
Leeds 26 0.75x
Stapleton 26 11.34x
Bedminster 25 2.68x
Dundee 25 1.17x
Kensington London 25 0.73x
Manchester 25 0.76x
Newington 25 1.10x
Stranton 25 4.05x
Wigan 24 2.35x
Bristol St George 23 4.11x
Guiseley 23 29.42x
Kilmersdon 23 46.94x
St Germans 23 47.27x
Gateshead 22 1.60x
Kirkdale 22 1.79x
Marton 22 45.25x
Battersea 21 0.93x
Gillingham 21 4.84x
Hastings St Mary In The 21 9.47x
Lewisham 21 1.87x
North Meols 21 2.93x
West Ham 21 0.78x
Ashwick 20 124.77x
Bishopwearmouth 20 1.27x
Layton With Warbreck 20 7.45x
Leicester St Margaret 20 1.20x
Loose 20 64.77x
St Peter Port 20 5.92x
Alfreton 19 6.48x
Barrow In Furness 19 1.91x
Bristol St James St Paul 19 4.71x
Chelsea London 19 1.02x
Faversham 19 9.48x
Hampstead London 19 1.98x
Hastings All Sts 19 19.41x
Horfield 19 15.62x
Ilfracombe 19 14.39x
Liff Benvie 19 2.19x
Plymouth St Andrew 19 1.92x
Sheldwich 19 141.16x
St George In East 19 4.53x
Everton 18 0.77x
Goudhurst 18 30.93x
Mark 18 77.79x
St George Hanover 18 2.24x
Sunderland 18 5.56x
Penge 17 4.32x
Wouldham 17 63.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 438
Elizabeth 247
Sarah 158
Ann 147
Jane 122
Ellen 111
Alice 105
Eliza 96
Emma 93
Annie 83
Margaret 68
Emily 66
Martha 54
Hannah 50
Maria 49
Frances 44
Charlotte 42
Edith 42
Caroline 38
Louisa 38
Florence 34
Ada 32
Fanny 32
Harriet 28
Kate 27
Lucy 27
Catherine 26
Clara 21
Isabella 21
Agnes 19
Anne 19
Harriett 16
Minnie 16
Elizth. 15
Ethel 15
Matilda 15
Esther 14
Rose 14
Sophia 14
Amelia 13
Bessie 13
Jessie 13
Susan 13
Laura 12
Amy 11
Grace 11
Rebecca 11
Rosa 10
Ruth 10
Anna 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 364
John 329
James 227
George 211
Thomas 173
Henry 145
Charles 111
Robert 92
Joseph 84
Alfred 79
Frederick 71
Richard 69
Edward 62
Albert 56
Samuel 53
Walter 46
Arthur 38
Frank 34
Edwin 28
Harry 27
Herbert 27
Ernest 23
Isaac 23
David 19
Francis 17
Benjamin 14
Job 13
Wm. 13
Fred 12
Edmund 11
Lewis 11
Mark 11
Philip 11
Ralph 11
Thos. 11
Tom 9
Willm. 9
Alexander 8
Fredrick 8
Matthew 8
Peter 8
Sidney 8
Stephen 8
Amos 7
Chas. 7
Percy 7
Sydney 7
Daniel 6
Gilbert 6
Leonard 6

FAQ

Moon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,287 people were recorded with the Moon surname. That placed it at #687 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,126 in 2016. That gives Moon a modern rank of #939.

What does the Moon surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old English word "mona," referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill.

What does the Moon map show?

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