NameCensus.

UK surname

Mouat

A Scottish surname derived from a French name meaning "windmill".

In the 1881 census there were 534 people recorded with the Mouat surname, ranking it #6,436 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 459, ranked #10,668, down from #6,436 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lerwick North, North and East Isles and Shetland South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mouat is 538 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.0%.

1881 census count

534

Ranked #6,436

Modern count

459

2016, ranked #10,668

Peak year

1861

538 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mouat had 534 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,436 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016, ranked #10,668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 538 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mouat surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mouat surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mouat 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 274 #8,176
1861 historical 538 #4,878
1881 historical 534 #6,436
1891 historical 493 #7,514
1901 historical 440 #8,843
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 417 #10,674
1998 modern 467 #10,120
1999 modern 465 #10,202
2000 modern 467 #10,144
2001 modern 458 #10,098
2002 modern 446 #10,521
2003 modern 434 #10,588
2004 modern 435 #10,600
2005 modern 425 #10,667
2006 modern 427 #10,683
2007 modern 432 #10,682
2008 modern 431 #10,814
2009 modern 450 #10,669
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 452 #10,748
2012 modern 455 #10,574
2013 modern 469 #10,492
2014 modern 462 #10,676
2015 modern 465 #10,572
2016 modern 459 #10,668

Geography

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Where Mouats are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fetlar and Yell, Lerwick, Edinburgh, Delting and Sandsting and Aithsting. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lerwick North, North and East Isles, Shetland South, East and West Mainland and Central Shetland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fetlar and Yell Shetland
2 Lerwick Shetland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Delting Shetland
5 Sandsting and Aithsting Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
2 North and East Isles Shetland Islands
3 Shetland South Shetland Islands
4 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
5 Central Shetland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mouat

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mouat

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mouat surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mouat household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mouat 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

Mouat 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mouat

The surname Mouat is believed to have originated in Scotland, specifically in the Shetland Islands. It is thought to derive from the Old Norse word "møt," which means a place where two streams or roads meet or converge. The earliest recorded instances of this name date back to the 12th century.

In the Shetland Islands, the name was often spelled as "Mowat" or "Muat" in older records. Some of the earliest references to this surname can be found in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative from the 12th century that chronicles the history of the Earls of Orkney.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Mouat was John Mouat, a Scottish landowner and farmer who lived in the 15th century on the island of Unst in the Shetland archipelago. Records indicate that he owned substantial land holdings and was a prominent figure in the local community.

Another notable individual was Sir James Mouat, a Scottish soldier and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. He served as a military commander during the Anglo-Scottish Wars and was granted lands in the Shetland Islands for his service to the Crown.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Mouat family settled in Orkney, where they became influential landowners and merchants. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Robert Mouat, a successful merchant and ship owner who lived from 1630 to 1698.

In the 18th century, the Mouat surname began to spread beyond Scotland to other parts of the British Isles and even to the American colonies. One notable figure from this period was William Mouat, a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who immigrated to Virginia in the 1740s and became a prominent figure in the colony's tobacco trade.

Another individual of note was James Mouat, a Scottish physician and naturalist who lived from 1779 to 1858. He served as a surgeon in the East India Company and made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology in the Indian subcontinent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mouat families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mouat 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. Shetland leads with 413 Mouats recorded in 1881 and an index of 794.23x.

County Total Index
Shetland 413 794.23x
Midlothian 32 4.69x
Angus 23 4.88x
Kincardineshire 18 29.03x
Durham 14 0.92x
Lanarkshire 5 0.30x
Northumberland 3 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.46x
Gloucestershire 2 0.20x
Middlesex 2 0.04x
Stirlingshire 2 1.07x
Yorkshire 2 0.04x
East Lothian 1 1.48x
Orkney 1 1.79x
Selkirkshire 1 2.17x
Surrey 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunrossness in Shetland leads with 114 Mouats recorded in 1881 and an index of 1664.23x.

Place Total Index
Dunrossness 114 1664.23x
Northmavine 105 2651.52x
Unst 54 1421.05x
Lerwick Gulberwick 36 447.21x
Sandsting Aitsting 35 743.10x
North Leith 18 57.02x
Bervie 17 463.22x
Delting 16 547.95x
Tingwall 15 576.92x
Yell Mid 14 813.95x
Dundee 13 7.38x
Walls 12 476.19x
Montrose 10 34.98x
South Leith 7 9.12x
Bressay Burra Quarff 6 264.32x
Gateshead 5 4.41x
Govan 5 1.23x
Whiteness Weisdale 5 318.47x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.46x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 13.53x
Cheltenham 2 2.60x
Chirton 2 11.66x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 3.05x
Old Kilpatrick 2 12.37x
Sculcoates 2 2.50x
St Ninians 2 10.74x
Crichton 1 52.63x
Duddingston 1 7.30x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 7.45x
Galashiels 1 5.87x
Haddington 1 10.04x
Kensington London 1 0.35x
Lambeth 1 0.23x
Mile End Old Town 1 1.24x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 2.21x
Nigg 1 19.49x
South Shields 1 7.41x
Stromness 1 23.81x
Sunderland 1 3.74x
Westoe 1 1.16x
Yell South 1 78.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Annie 1
Christine 1
Clara 1
Elizabeth 1
Louisa 1
Marian 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
James 2
John 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Gaven 1
Gavin 1
Niman 1
Peter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mouat households.

FAQ

Mouat surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mouat surname in 1881?

In 1881, 534 people were recorded with the Mouat surname. That placed it at #6,436 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mouat surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 459 in 2016. That gives Mouat a modern rank of #10,668.

What does the Mouat surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a French name meaning "windmill".

What does the Mouat map show?

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