NameCensus.

UK surname

Moseley

From a place name meaning "mouse wood" or "mouse clearing" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,739 people recorded with the Moseley surname, ranking it #1,630 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,171, ranked #1,304, up from #1,630 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wednesbury and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Walsall and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moseley is 5,440 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 88.8%.

1881 census count

2,739

Ranked #1,630

Modern count

5,171

2016, ranked #1,304

Peak year

1999

5,440 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moseley had 2,739 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,630 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,171 in 2016, ranked #1,304.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,693 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Moseley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moseley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moseley 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 1,453 #1,979
1861 historical 1,331 #2,150
1881 historical 2,739 #1,630
1891 historical 3,220 #1,478
1901 historical 4,144 #1,358
1911 historical 4,693 #1,102
1997 modern 5,148 #1,270
1998 modern 5,397 #1,261
1999 modern 5,440 #1,259
2000 modern 5,410 #1,259
2001 modern 5,266 #1,262
2002 modern 5,332 #1,273
2003 modern 5,179 #1,277
2004 modern 5,198 #1,265
2005 modern 5,074 #1,289
2006 modern 5,084 #1,288
2007 modern 5,114 #1,292
2008 modern 5,114 #1,301
2009 modern 5,225 #1,304
2010 modern 5,305 #1,310
2011 modern 5,296 #1,295
2012 modern 5,216 #1,292
2013 modern 5,274 #1,297
2014 modern 5,282 #1,301
2015 modern 5,217 #1,301
2016 modern 5,171 #1,304

Geography

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Where Moseleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wednesbury, Sheffield and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Walsall, Pembrokeshire and Sandwell. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Wednesbury Staffordshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Walsall 018 Walsall
3 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire
4 Walsall 010 Walsall
5 Sandwell 001 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moseley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moseley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Moseley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Moseley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Moseley 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

Moseley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moseley 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 Moseley 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 Moseley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moseley

The surname Moseley has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Moseley, which is found in several counties across the country, including Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire. The name is believed to stem from the Old English words "mos" meaning "moss" and "leah" meaning "a meadow or clearing," suggesting that the name originated from a moss-covered meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Museleie" in Worcestershire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in the region during the Norman Conquest. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Moseley.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Thomas de Moseley, a landowner in Staffordshire who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. Another early record is that of William de Moseley, a freeman of York in 1301, highlighting the name's presence in different parts of England.

During the 16th century, the Moseley family gained prominence in Lancashire, where they held the manor of Ancoats. Sir Oswald Moseley (1505-1572) was a respected member of this family and served as a Member of Parliament for Preston during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Sir Nicholas Moseley (1615-1672), born in Staffordshire, was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II. His son, Sir Edward Moseley (1650-1713), also followed in his footsteps and became a notable jurist.

Another noteworthy figure was Benjamin Moseley (1742-1819), an English surgeon and author who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. His works, such as "A Treatise on Tropical Diseases" and "A Treatise on Hydrophobia," were highly influential in their time.

In the 19th century, Henry Moseley (1801-1872), an English mathematician and engineer, gained recognition for his work on developing the concept of the least-squares method, which is widely used in statistical analysis today.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Moseley throughout history, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moseley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moseley 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 380 Moseleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.22x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 380 4.22x
Warwickshire 304 4.52x
Middlesex 258 0.97x
Yorkshire 257 0.97x
Lancashire 213 0.67x
Worcestershire 211 6.06x
Cheshire 164 2.79x
Derbyshire 155 3.71x
Surrey 139 1.07x
Kent 81 0.89x
Sussex 65 1.45x
Monmouthshire 54 2.80x
Gloucestershire 53 1.01x
Nottinghamshire 44 1.22x
Shropshire 41 1.78x
Essex 40 0.76x
Leicestershire 40 1.35x
Glamorgan 34 0.73x
Buckinghamshire 26 1.61x
Radnorshire 18 8.37x
Hampshire 16 0.29x
Durham 15 0.19x
Bedfordshire 14 1.01x
Herefordshire 13 1.19x
Lincolnshire 12 0.28x
Somerset 11 0.26x
Suffolk 11 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.59x
Lanarkshire 10 0.12x
Cornwall 8 0.27x
Northumberland 8 0.20x
Devon 5 0.09x
Brecknockshire 4 0.75x
Dorset 4 0.23x
Norfolk 4 0.10x
Denbighshire 3 0.30x
Wiltshire 3 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.19x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 111 Moseleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 111 4.95x
Aston 98 5.29x
Wednesbury 60 26.68x
Walsall Foreign 53 11.40x
Wolverhampton 48 6.94x
Ecclesall Bierlow 39 7.26x
Hackney London 39 2.61x
Mile End Old Town 36 8.55x
West Ham 36 3.10x
Rowley Regis 35 13.96x
Mynyddyslwyn 27 35.51x
Macclesfield 25 9.56x
Newport Pagnell 24 71.22x
Islington London 23 0.89x
West Derby 23 2.49x
Balsall 22 209.52x
Brightside Bierlow 21 4.05x
Croydon 21 2.91x
Kings Norton 21 6.73x
Radford 21 11.50x
Bredon 20 168.21x
Nether Hallam 20 5.60x
Salford 20 2.15x
Edgbaston 19 9.11x
Battersea 17 1.73x
Derby St Alkmund 17 13.59x
Newington 17 1.73x
Camberwell 16 0.94x
Dudley 16 3.78x
Lambeth 16 0.69x
Manchester 16 1.12x
Sheffield 16 1.90x
St Pancras London 16 0.75x
Stafford St Mary 16 12.56x
Trevethin 16 8.79x
Dukinfield 15 5.52x
Kensington London 15 1.01x
Tideswell 15 82.83x
Burslem 14 5.43x
Darlaston 14 11.26x
Hampstead London 14 3.37x
Handsworth 14 6.31x
Iping 14 292.28x
Maidstone 14 5.17x
St Marylebone London 14 0.98x
Stockport 14 4.62x
Toxteth Park 14 1.31x
Gelligaer 13 12.26x
Pudsey 13 9.21x
Shavington Cum Gresty 13 133.47x
Shoreditch London 13 1.12x
St George Hanover 13 3.74x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 1.36x
Tipton 13 4.72x
Whistones 13 51.57x
Willenhall 13 7.71x
Farnworth 12 6.33x
Treeton 12 193.55x
Wharton 12 37.44x
Cleckheaton 11 11.30x
Derby St Werburgh 11 4.56x
Heaton Norris 11 6.11x
Leicester St Margaret 11 1.53x
Pershore St Andrew 11 57.26x
Rowington 11 145.31x
Aberdare 10 3.14x
Barrow In Furness 10 2.32x
Beoley 10 180.18x
Bradfield 10 9.82x
Cheetham 10 4.24x
Claines 10 10.47x
Duffield 10 30.40x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 10 10.45x
Halesowen 10 32.72x
Litchurch 10 5.95x
Monks Coppenhall 10 4.50x
St Andrewthe Less 10 5.18x
St Luke London 10 2.34x
Wem 10 29.19x
West Bromwich 10 1.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 197
Sarah 108
Elizabeth 107
Ann 55
Annie 46
Jane 44
Eliza 42
Alice 41
Emma 41
Ellen 38
Hannah 38
Emily 27
Martha 27
Harriet 25
Fanny 20
Clara 19
Florence 19
Frances 17
Ada 16
Catherine 16
Kate 16
Margaret 16
Charlotte 15
Louisa 15
Maria 14
Agnes 13
Anne 12
Lucy 12
Caroline 9
Edith 9
Betsy 8
Jessie 8
Matilda 8
Esther 7
Harriett 7
Rose 7
Susan 7
Ethel 6
Lydia 6
Phoebe 6
Rebecca 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Gertrude 5
Laura 5
Rachel 5
Janet 4
Ruth 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 161
John 128
George 104
Thomas 87
Joseph 81
James 72
Henry 70
Charles 59
Samuel 36
Alfred 35
Arthur 28
Richard 26
Edward 24
Harry 23
Frederick 20
Robert 20
Edwin 16
Frank 16
Walter 16
Herbert 14
David 10
Ernest 10
Fred 10
Albert 9
Wm. 7
Benjamin 6
Ralph 6
Thos. 6
Willie 6
Geo. 5
Isaac 5
Oswald 5
Aaron 4
Jacob 4
Moses 4
Tom 4
Daniel 3
Francis 3
Leonard 3
Lewis 3
Louis 3
Luke 3
Mark 3
Moss 3
Peter 3
Reuben 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Anthony 2

FAQ

Moseley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moseley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,739 people were recorded with the Moseley surname. That placed it at #1,630 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moseley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,171 in 2016. That gives Moseley a modern rank of #1,304.

What does the Moseley surname mean?

From a place name meaning "mouse wood" or "mouse clearing" in Old English.

What does the Moseley map show?

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