NameCensus.

UK surname

Mosby

Derived from the Old English place name Moresby, meaning "farmstead or village by the moor or marshland."

In the 1881 census there were 229 people recorded with the Mosby surname, ranking it #11,784 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 266, ranked #16,094, down from #11,784 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barwick-in-Elmett, Leeds and Garforth, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Leeds and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mosby is 341 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.2%.

1881 census count

229

Ranked #11,784

Modern count

266

2016, ranked #16,094

Peak year

1901

341 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mosby had 229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,784 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016, ranked #16,094.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 341 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Mosby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mosby surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mosby 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 149 #15,373
1881 historical 229 #11,784
1891 historical 263 #12,261
1901 historical 341 #10,629
1911 historical 314 #11,077
1997 modern 271 #14,486
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 288 #14,346
2000 modern 280 #14,601
2001 modern 263 #14,999
2002 modern 266 #15,156
2003 modern 264 #15,071
2004 modern 266 #15,075
2005 modern 252 #15,551
2006 modern 250 #15,749
2007 modern 250 #15,901
2008 modern 246 #16,247
2009 modern 254 #16,230
2010 modern 256 #16,523
2011 modern 264 #16,016
2012 modern 268 #15,745
2013 modern 273 #15,802
2014 modern 268 #16,111
2015 modern 274 #15,749
2016 modern 266 #16,094

Geography

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Where Mosbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barwick-in-Elmett, Leeds, Garforth, West, Normanton and Methley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Leeds and Doncaster. 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 Barwick-in-Elmett Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Garforth, West Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Normanton Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Methley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 009 Wakefield
2 Leeds 097 Leeds
3 Wakefield 004 Wakefield
4 Wakefield 005 Wakefield
5 Doncaster 014 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mosby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mosby

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mosby, 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 Mosby surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mosby 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, Mosby 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

Mosby is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mosby falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mosby 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mosby

The surname Mosby is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Leicestershire, England, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse byname "Musse," which means "little mouse," and the Old English word "by," meaning a town or village. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a small settlement or hamlet.

One of the earliest records of the name Mosby can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a William de Mussebi. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 13th century. The Subsidy Rolls of Leicestershire from 1327 also contain references to individuals with the surname Mosby or similar spellings, such as Robert de Mussebury and John de Mussebury.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the Paston Letters, which were a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family in Norfolk. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a Sir John Mosby.

The earliest known person with the surname Mosby was likely Sir John Mosby, who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was a prominent landowner and knight in Leicestershire and is mentioned in several legal records from the time.

Another notable individual with the Mosby surname was Sir Nicholas Mosby, who was born around 1505 and served as the High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1557. He was a wealthy landowner and played a role in local politics during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, one of the most famous bearers of the Mosby name was John Mosby, a British soldier and politician who lived from 1629 to 1688. He served as a Colonel in the English Civil War and later became a Member of Parliament.

During the American Civil War, the Confederate cavalry officer John Singleton Mosby, also known as the "Gray Ghost," gained notoriety for his daring raids behind Union lines. He was born in 1833 and died in 1916.

Another noteworthy individual with the Mosby surname was Walter Mosby, an English actor and playwright who lived from 1672 to 1739. He was known for his roles in Shakespearean plays and his own theatrical works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mosby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mosby 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. Yorkshire leads with 207 Mosbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 207 9.52x
Derbyshire 12 3.49x
Durham 2 0.31x
Lincolnshire 1 0.29x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.43x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x
Surrey 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Normanton in Yorkshire leads with 42 Mosbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 642.20x.

Place Total Index
Normanton 42 642.20x
Swillington 31 5000.00x
Garforth 17 1024.10x
Barwick In Elmet 15 898.20x
Methley 13 424.84x
Eckington 12 143.71x
Kippax 9 471.20x
Preston 9 750.00x
Leeds 8 6.51x
Warmfield Cum Heath 8 1095.89x
Allerton Bywater 7 593.22x
Whitwood 7 226.54x
Doncaster 6 37.76x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 42.86x
Holbeck 6 41.64x
Holy Trinity 5 9.56x
Micklefield 5 961.54x
Hunslet 3 8.85x
Campsall 2 869.57x
Edmondsley 2 285.71x
Ledsham 2 1000.00x
Tadcaster West 2 116.28x
Althorpe 1 125.00x
Audley 1 13.64x
Barnsley 1 4.46x
Hubberston 1 98.04x
Lambeth 1 0.52x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 9.90x
Wakefield 1 5.99x
Wortley In Bramley 1 5.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 8
Annie 7
Hannah 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Alice 3
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Esther 3
Jane 3
Kate 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Beatric 1
Blanche 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Clarissa 1
Cora 1
Eleanor 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Fenether 1
Fennetta 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harry 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Laura 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Maude 1
Miriam 1
Orpher 1
Victria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 13
John 11
James 10
William 10
Joseph 9
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Albert 2
Amos 2
Charles 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Lot 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Alma 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Crispin 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Enoch 1
Ephriam 1
Erven 1
Etha 1
Ezra 1
Ida 1
Jesse 1
Joshua 1
Luke 1
Moses 1
Nevern 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mosby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mosby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 229 people were recorded with the Mosby surname. That placed it at #11,784 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mosby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016. That gives Mosby a modern rank of #16,094.

What does the Mosby surname mean?

Derived from the Old English place name Moresby, meaning "farmstead or village by the moor or marshland."

What does the Mosby map show?

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