NameCensus.

UK surname

Moses

Derived from the Hebrew name Moshe, which means "drawn out" or "pulled out," likely referring to the Biblical figure.

In the 1881 census there were 3,048 people recorded with the Moses surname, ranking it #1,470 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,274, ranked #2,077, down from #1,470 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Botolph Aldgate and Christ Church Spitalfields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moses is 3,884 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.4%.

1881 census count

3,048

Ranked #1,470

Modern count

3,274

2016, ranked #2,077

Peak year

1901

3,884 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moses had 3,048 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,470 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,274 in 2016, ranked #2,077.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,884 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Moses surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moses surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moses 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 2,183 #1,337
1861 historical 2,241 #1,310
1881 historical 3,048 #1,470
1891 historical 3,368 #1,420
1901 historical 3,884 #1,453
1911 historical 3,832 #1,354
1997 modern 2,969 #2,180
1998 modern 3,108 #2,161
1999 modern 3,161 #2,141
2000 modern 3,097 #2,175
2001 modern 3,026 #2,175
2002 modern 3,144 #2,139
2003 modern 3,073 #2,133
2004 modern 3,110 #2,111
2005 modern 3,092 #2,090
2006 modern 3,115 #2,079
2007 modern 3,170 #2,070
2008 modern 3,219 #2,061
2009 modern 3,294 #2,066
2010 modern 3,382 #2,059
2011 modern 3,316 #2,067
2012 modern 3,225 #2,089
2013 modern 3,288 #2,086
2014 modern 3,326 #2,074
2015 modern 3,294 #2,073
2016 modern 3,274 #2,077

Geography

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Where Moses' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St Botolph Aldgate, Christ Church Spitalfields, St Mary Whitechapel and Darlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent, Doncaster and Barnet. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 St Botolph Aldgate London (Central Districts)
3 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
4 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
5 Darlington Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 017 Powys
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 012 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Blaenau Gwent 001 Blaenau Gwent
4 Doncaster 002 Doncaster
5 Barnet 014 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moses

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moses

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Moses surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Moses household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Moses 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

Moses 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

Moses falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Moses

The surname Moses originated from the Hebrew personal name "Moshe", which means "drawn out" or "pulled out", in reference to the biblical figure Moses who was drawn out of the waters of the Nile River. This name, in its various spellings, has been adopted as a surname across different cultures and religions.

The earliest known records of the surname Moses can be traced back to the 12th century in England. During this time, Jewish communities began to adopt hereditary surnames, and Moses was one of the names derived from biblical figures. In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Moyses" in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire.

In the 16th century, the surname Moses gained popularity among Protestant Christians in England and Scotland, who adopted biblical names as a way to express their religious beliefs. This led to an increase in the use of the surname Moses among non-Jewish populations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Moses was Robert Moses, a 13th-century landowner in Suffolk, England. Another notable individual was Sir Edward Moses (1572-1636), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

The surname Moses also has a long history in the United States, where it was brought by early Jewish immigrants from various European countries. One of the most prominent figures with this surname was Robert Moses (1888-1981), the influential urban planner and public official who shaped the development of New York City.

Other notable individuals with the surname Moses include:

1. Anna Mary Moses (1860-1961), an American folk artist known for her naive style paintings depicting rural life. 2. Grandma Moses (1860-1961), the nickname of Anna Mary Moses, which became her professional name as an artist. 3. Alfred H. Moses (1919-1995), an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the US ambassador to Romania and Morocco. 4. Raphael Moses (1812-1903), a British Jewish writer and historian who wrote extensively on Jewish history and culture. 5. Edwin Moses (born 1955), an American former track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have carried the surname Moses throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moses families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moses 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. Middlesex leads with 595 Moses' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 595 1.99x
Durham 378 4.25x
Yorkshire 333 1.12x
Glamorgan 219 4.21x
Monmouthshire 186 8.61x
Devon 151 2.43x
Lancashire 148 0.42x
Cheshire 142 2.15x
Hampshire 110 1.80x
Cumberland 75 2.92x
Surrey 72 0.49x
Carmarthenshire 67 5.32x
Brecknockshire 65 10.88x
Warwickshire 50 0.66x
Cornwall 48 1.42x
Kent 44 0.43x
Staffordshire 31 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 28 2.32x
Lincolnshire 28 0.59x
Denbighshire 26 2.30x
Gloucestershire 23 0.39x
Shropshire 21 0.81x
Sussex 17 0.34x
Channel Islands 16 1.81x
Lanarkshire 16 0.17x
Westmorland 16 2.44x
Northumberland 13 0.29x
Radnorshire 13 5.39x
Worcestershire 13 0.33x
Berkshire 12 0.54x
Norfolk 12 0.26x
Renfrewshire 12 0.52x
Hertfordshire 11 0.53x
Montgomeryshire 10 1.46x
Cardiganshire 9 1.23x
Midlothian 8 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.74x
Anglesey 6 1.13x
Flintshire 6 0.75x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.76x
Essex 4 0.07x
Wiltshire 4 0.15x
Royal Navy 3 0.84x
Derbyshire 2 0.04x
Dorset 2 0.10x
Ayrshire 1 0.04x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.06x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.18x
Stirlingshire 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. Darlington in Durham leads with 79 Moses' recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.02x.

Place Total Index
Darlington 79 23.02x
Spitalfields London 78 34.71x
Whitechapel London 70 23.77x
Leeds 62 3.71x
St Botolph Aldgate 61 149.55x
Paddington London 47 4.28x
Mile End Old Town 41 8.69x
Birmingham 37 1.47x
Plymouth Charles The 37 13.50x
Weston In Nantwich 37 696.80x
Aberdare 36 10.08x
Wolsingham 32 39.50x
Bethnal Green London 29 2.23x
Islington London 29 1.00x
St Marylebone London 29 1.82x
Holy Trinity 27 3.79x
St George In East 27 13.28x
St Woollos 27 11.20x
Aberystruth 26 13.66x
Fulham London 26 6.00x
St Pancras London 26 1.08x
Newchurch 25 179.99x
Ystradyfodwg 25 5.48x
Kensington London 23 1.38x
Stoke Damerel 23 5.28x
Bedwellty 22 5.77x
Crook Billy Row 22 19.33x
Merthyr Tydfil 22 4.40x
Gelligaer 20 16.83x
Midgley 20 63.39x
Bishop Auckland 19 15.93x
Llywel 19 147.17x
Stanhope 19 20.70x
Stockton On Tees 19 4.43x
Everton 18 1.59x
Portsea 18 1.50x
Risca 18 44.20x
Mile End New Town 17 41.67x
Graig 16 164.95x
Liverpool 16 0.74x
Manchester 16 1.00x
Newton 16 5.86x
Odd Rode 16 48.97x
Roath 16 6.77x
Ventnor 16 27.47x
Dartmouth St Saviour 14 78.78x
Llangadock 14 40.33x
Llanguick 14 15.02x
Llantrisant 14 10.68x
Monks Coppenhall 14 5.63x
Rudry 14 354.43x
Trallong 14 494.70x
Trevethin 14 6.86x
Lambeth 13 0.50x
Llandegai 13 35.15x
St Giles In Fields 13 12.61x
Upper Machen 13 87.78x
Drypool 12 26.47x
Llanegwad 12 71.60x
Llanwonno 12 6.42x
Newington 12 1.09x
Ovenden 12 9.11x
Ravensworth 12 437.96x
Toxteth Park 12 1.00x
Witton Le Wear 12 47.60x
Wolverhampton 12 1.55x
Buckland Monachorum 11 82.77x
Dartmouth St Petrox 11 122.63x
Eastwood 11 7.71x
Hedleyhope 11 71.48x
Kidderminster Borough 11 4.82x
Meavy 11 379.31x
Ramsgate 11 6.61x
Ryde 11 8.36x
Walton On Hill 11 5.73x
York St Maurice 11 19.73x
Brampton 10 28.35x
Brymbo 10 25.44x
Camberwell 10 0.52x
Clifton In York 10 16.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 214
Elizabeth 123
Sarah 105
Jane 75
Ann 63
Margaret 59
Hannah 42
Eliza 34
Annie 31
Emily 26
Ellen 23
Emma 22
Anne 21
Esther 21
Alice 20
Maria 19
Martha 19
Ada 18
Catherine 18
Caroline 17
Frances 16
Rachel 16
Edith 15
Kate 14
Rebecca 14
Fanny 12
Clara 11
Julia 11
Louisa 10
Matilda 10
Susan 10
Agnes 9
Florence 9
Sophia 9
Charlotte 8
Eleanor 8
Harriet 8
Jessie 8
Lucy 8
Rose 8
Elizth. 7
Leah 7
Amelia 6
Bertha 6
Isabella 6
Margret 6
Rachael 6
Anna 5
Laura 5
Maud 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 173
William 151
Thomas 97
George 94
James 59
Henry 58
David 52
Joseph 46
Robert 37
Charles 30
Samuel 27
Isaac 23
Moses 23
Alfred 20
Arthur 20
Frederick 20
Edward 16
Richard 15
Edwin 14
Jacob 14
Lewis 14
Aaron 13
Abraham 13
Albert 13
Harry 11
Solomon 11
Benjamin 10
Mark 9
Michael 9
Moss 9
Thos. 9
Anthony 8
Ralph 8
Tom 8
Ernest 7
Francis 7
Herbert 7
Nathan 7
Philip 7
Wm. 7
Christopher 6
Evan 6
Frank 6
Morgan 6
Walter 6
Daniel 5
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Harris 5
Maurice 5

FAQ

Moses surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moses surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,048 people were recorded with the Moses surname. That placed it at #1,470 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moses surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,274 in 2016. That gives Moses a modern rank of #2,077.

What does the Moses surname mean?

Derived from the Hebrew name Moshe, which means "drawn out" or "pulled out," likely referring to the Biblical figure.

What does the Moses map show?

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