NameCensus.

UK surname

Mosley

From the Old English words "mos" meaning "moss" and "leah" meaning "clearing," referring to someone who lived near a mossy clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 2,842 people recorded with the Mosley surname, ranking it #1,572 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,976, ranked #2,264, down from #1,572 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Werburgh, Manchester and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Derbyshire Dales and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mosley is 3,683 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

2,842

Ranked #1,572

Modern count

2,976

2016, ranked #2,264

Peak year

1911

3,683 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mosley had 2,842 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,572 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,976 in 2016, ranked #2,264.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,683 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mosley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mosley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mosley 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 1,852 #1,559
1861 historical 1,902 #1,525
1881 historical 2,842 #1,572
1891 historical 2,911 #1,619
1901 historical 3,061 #1,826
1911 historical 3,683 #1,415
1997 modern 3,033 #2,115
1998 modern 3,109 #2,160
1999 modern 3,108 #2,179
2000 modern 3,103 #2,169
2001 modern 3,030 #2,173
2002 modern 3,114 #2,160
2003 modern 3,002 #2,186
2004 modern 2,976 #2,205
2005 modern 2,937 #2,206
2006 modern 2,952 #2,194
2007 modern 2,955 #2,215
2008 modern 2,960 #2,224
2009 modern 2,972 #2,275
2010 modern 2,983 #2,313
2011 modern 2,988 #2,284
2012 modern 2,944 #2,276
2013 modern 3,053 #2,227
2014 modern 3,061 #2,233
2015 modern 3,010 #2,248
2016 modern 2,976 #2,264

Geography

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Where Mosleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Werburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Keighley and Kirkburton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Derbyshire Dales and Rotherham. 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 Werburgh Derbyshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 057 Kirklees
2 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
3 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales
4 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
5 Rotherham 033 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mosley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mosley

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

Mosley is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mosley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mosley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mosley

The surname Mosley is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "mos" meaning "moss" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow". This suggests the name originally referred to someone who lived near a mossy clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Muslega" and refers to a place name in Staffordshire. Other early spellings include Museleie, Muselea, and Museley.

The name Mosley is closely associated with the village of Moseley in the West Midlands, which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Muslei". It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the surname may have originated from this area.

In the 13th century, a William de Museleye is recorded as holding lands in Staffordshire. Another early bearer of the name was John de Museley, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279.

Oswald Mosley (1896-1980), the infamous British politician and founder of the British Union of Fascists, is perhaps the most well-known individual with this surname. His controversial political views and activities during the 1930s and World War II have made him a controversial figure in British history.

Another notable Mosley was Sir Oswald Mosley (1597-1675), an English politician and landowner who served as Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. He played a prominent role in the English Civil War, initially supporting the Parliamentarian cause before switching sides to the Royalists.

Michael Mosley (born 1957) is a contemporary British journalist, broadcaster, and former medical doctor. He is best known for his work on television shows such as "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" and for popularizing the 5:2 diet.

Walter Mosley (born 1952) is an American novelist and playwright, best known for his popular crime fiction series featuring the character Easy Rawlins. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential contemporary African American writers.

Lastly, Nicholas Mosley (1923-2017) was a British novelist and biographer, known for his works such as "Hopeful Monsters" and biographies of his father, Sir Oswald Mosley, and his uncle, the writer Max Mosley.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mosley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mosley 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 1,118 Mosleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.10x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,118 4.10x
Derbyshire 480 11.15x
Lancashire 340 1.04x
Middlesex 149 0.54x
Staffordshire 131 1.41x
Nottinghamshire 98 2.64x
Surrey 57 0.43x
Cheshire 49 0.81x
Gloucestershire 44 0.82x
Warwickshire 44 0.63x
Sussex 41 0.88x
Durham 39 0.48x
Northumberland 37 0.90x
Worcestershire 31 0.86x
Kent 18 0.19x
Monmouthshire 15 0.75x
Lincolnshire 13 0.30x
Hampshire 12 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.60x
Herefordshire 10 0.89x
Lanarkshire 10 0.11x
Suffolk 9 0.27x
Radnorshire 8 3.60x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.40x
Cornwall 7 0.22x
Essex 7 0.13x
Devon 6 0.10x
Glamorgan 5 0.10x
Shropshire 5 0.21x
Somerset 5 0.11x
Anglesey 2 0.41x
Berkshire 2 0.10x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Northamptonshire 2 0.08x
Roxburghshire 2 0.40x
Bedfordshire 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
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. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 78 Mosleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.99x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 78 8.99x
Keighley 74 25.47x
Ecclesall Bierlow 69 12.44x
Shepley 59 392.55x
Meltham 45 106.16x
Derby St Werburgh 43 17.29x
Hulme 40 5.87x
Kingsley 40 231.08x
Shelley 40 250.94x
Derby St Alkmund 39 30.22x
Leeds 38 2.47x
Morley 35 24.69x
St Pancras London 32 1.45x
Fulstone 31 155.47x
Litchurch 30 17.31x
Nottingham St Mary 30 3.13x
Gorton 29 9.45x
North Wingfield 29 150.65x
Birmingham 26 1.12x
Oldham 26 2.47x
Manchester 24 1.63x
Shipley 24 16.97x
Stoke Upon Trent 24 2.44x
Dronfield 23 41.67x
Kensington London 22 1.44x
Brampton 21 34.88x
Radford 21 11.15x
Ashton Under Lyne 20 2.80x
Farnhill 20 378.79x
Gildersome 20 61.03x
Whittington 20 33.56x
North Shields 19 23.26x
Toxteth Park 19 1.72x
Wakefield 19 9.08x
Brightside Bierlow 18 3.37x
Ecclesfield 18 9.01x
Ludworth 18 88.76x
Wormhill 18 199.78x
Barnsley 17 6.05x
Bowling 17 6.30x
Cumberworth 17 122.48x
Frampton Cotterell 17 89.76x
Islington London 17 0.64x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 16 6.30x
Calver 16 390.24x
Liverpool 16 0.81x
Radcliffe 16 10.17x
Salford 16 1.67x
Bradford 15 2.27x
Middlesbrough 15 4.23x
Eckington 14 13.38x
Handsworth 14 19.43x
Honley 14 29.34x
Kirkburton 14 43.56x
Ripley 14 26.30x
Winster 14 177.89x
Bury 13 3.49x
Bollington In 12 22.20x
Moss Side 12 6.99x
Rawmarsh 12 12.46x
St Marylebone London 12 0.82x
Tanfield 12 12.33x
Worsbrough 12 15.02x
Batley 11 4.25x
Huddersfield 11 2.77x
Kirkheaton 11 24.88x
Newington 11 1.08x
West Clayton 11 81.30x
Barony 10 0.44x
Brandesburton 10 139.86x
Darlington 10 3.16x
Hunslet 10 2.35x
Ilkeston 10 8.28x
Silkstone 10 74.13x
Teversall 10 255.75x
York St Mary 10 8.86x
Dalton In Huddersfield 9 14.74x
North Bierley 9 6.12x
Staveley 9 11.77x
Walsall Borough 9 12.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Sarah 134
Elizabeth 85
Ann 70
Hannah 59
Annie 58
Eliza 44
Ellen 44
Jane 40
Alice 38
Emma 37
Martha 34
Harriet 27
Clara 26
Emily 23
Margaret 21
Anne 20
Florence 20
Maria 20
Ada 18
Louisa 17
Fanny 16
Edith 15
Caroline 14
Charlotte 12
Amelia 10
Catherine 8
Frances 8
Kate 8
Lydia 8
Harriett 6
Rebecca 6
Rose 6
Selina 6
Susannah 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Bertha 5
Eleanor 5
Gertrude 5
Lilly 5
Lucy 5
Matilda 5
Ruth 5
Susan 5
Betty 4
Ethel 4
Eva 4
Grace 4
Isabella 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 163
John 135
George 118
Thomas 84
James 73
Joseph 70
Henry 55
Charles 42
Samuel 29
Alfred 26
Robert 26
Richard 25
Albert 24
Arthur 24
Fred 24
Walter 22
Edward 20
Harry 16
Ernest 15
Frank 15
Joe 14
Herbert 13
Benjamin 12
David 12
Tom 11
Frederick 9
Wm. 9
Jonathan 8
Joshua 8
Luke 8
Abraham 7
Edwin 7
Isaac 7
Sam 7
Francis 6
Oswald 6
Aaron 5
Percy 5
Ralph 5
Thos. 5
Brook 4
Daniel 4
Philip 4
Timothy 4
Wilfred 4
Fredrick 3
Horace 3
Jim 3
Jno. 3
Seth 3

FAQ

Mosley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mosley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,842 people were recorded with the Mosley surname. That placed it at #1,572 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mosley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,976 in 2016. That gives Mosley a modern rank of #2,264.

What does the Mosley surname mean?

From the Old English words "mos" meaning "moss" and "leah" meaning "clearing," referring to someone who lived near a mossy clearing.

What does the Mosley map show?

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