NameCensus.

UK surname

Mould

An English surname derived from the Middle English "mould" meaning "earth" or "soil".

In the 1881 census there were 2,561 people recorded with the Mould surname, ranking it #1,746 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,416, ranked #1,996, down from #1,746 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wolstanton and Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, County Durham and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mould is 3,795 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.4%.

1881 census count

2,561

Ranked #1,746

Modern count

3,416

2016, ranked #1,996

Peak year

1999

3,795 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mould had 2,561 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,746 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,416 in 2016, ranked #1,996.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,565 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mould surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mould surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mould 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 1,719 #1,677
1861 historical 1,702 #1,684
1881 historical 2,561 #1,746
1891 historical 2,830 #1,675
1901 historical 3,185 #1,764
1911 historical 3,565 #1,465
1997 modern 3,480 #1,861
1998 modern 3,763 #1,792
1999 modern 3,795 #1,789
2000 modern 3,739 #1,802
2001 modern 3,656 #1,802
2002 modern 3,701 #1,830
2003 modern 3,651 #1,816
2004 modern 3,616 #1,828
2005 modern 3,506 #1,862
2006 modern 3,488 #1,872
2007 modern 3,504 #1,880
2008 modern 3,501 #1,896
2009 modern 3,602 #1,892
2010 modern 3,599 #1,936
2011 modern 3,576 #1,926
2012 modern 3,457 #1,951
2013 modern 3,514 #1,957
2014 modern 3,489 #1,981
2015 modern 3,433 #1,990
2016 modern 3,416 #1,996

Geography

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Where Moulds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wolstanton, Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick and East and West Tisbury, Wardour. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, County Durham, Sunderland and Stroud. 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 1
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick Northamptonshire
5 East and West Tisbury, Wardour Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
2 County Durham 048 County Durham
3 Sunderland 003 Sunderland
4 Sunderland 009 Sunderland
5 Stroud 014 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mould

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mould

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Mould is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mould is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mould falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mould is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mould

The surname Mould is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'molde', meaning soil or earth. It was initially an occupational name for someone who worked with soil or earth, such as a digger or excavator.

The name Mould can be traced back to the 13th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being William le Moulde, which appeared in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Mold, Moolde, and Moalde.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a reference is made to a place called 'Moldes' in Huntingdonshire, which may have been derived from the Old English word 'molde' and could have influenced the development of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Mould, who lived in Cheshire, England, in the late 14th century. Another notable individual was William Mould, a merchant and alderman of London, who was born around 1540 and died in 1609.

In the 17th century, there were several notable individuals with the surname Mould, including Robert Mould (1608-1676), an English clergyman and author, and John Mould (1623-1683), a Puritan divine and writer.

Another significant figure was Philip Mould (1742-1799), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and engravings of rural scenes. His works are held in various collections, including the British Museum and the Tate Gallery.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mould surname was associated with several place names, such as Mouldsworth in Cheshire, Mouldridge in Lancashire, and Mouldsworth in Oxfordshire, suggesting the surname's geographical spread across England.

Other notable individuals with the surname Mould include Sir Clement Mould (1888-1952), a British civil engineer and chief engineer of the London Passenger Transport Board, and Philip Mould (born 1960), a British art dealer and television presenter known for his expertise in British portraiture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mould families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mould 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 363 Moulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.30x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 363 4.30x
Wiltshire 217 9.80x
Durham 181 2.43x
Middlesex 181 0.72x
Hampshire 176 3.43x
Lancashire 150 0.51x
Surrey 150 1.23x
Warwickshire 148 2.34x
Leicestershire 129 4.65x
Northamptonshire 115 4.88x
Yorkshire 113 0.46x
Kent 80 0.94x
Northumberland 75 2.01x
Derbyshire 43 1.10x
Lincolnshire 37 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 35 2.21x
Somerset 35 0.87x
Rutland 34 18.50x
Cheshire 30 0.54x
Worcestershire 30 0.92x
Sussex 27 0.64x
Glamorgan 24 0.55x
Huntingdonshire 24 4.83x
Gloucestershire 22 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.59x
Shropshire 18 0.83x
Suffolk 15 0.49x
Devon 14 0.27x
Ayrshire 11 0.59x
Essex 9 0.18x
Dorset 8 0.49x
Midlothian 7 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.40x
Bedfordshire 4 0.31x
Cumberland 4 0.19x
Flintshire 4 0.59x
Herefordshire 4 0.39x
Merionethshire 3 0.66x
Monmouthshire 3 0.17x
Roxburghshire 3 0.66x
Royal Navy 3 1.01x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Channel Islands 2 0.27x
Fife 2 0.14x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x

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 67 Moulds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 67 3.18x
Aston 64 3.68x
Stoke Upon Trent 52 5.80x
Wolstanton 42 16.37x
Wigston Magna 39 105.95x
East Tisbury 32 419.40x
Camberwell 31 1.94x
Portsea 29 2.88x
Peterborough 26 15.25x
Chilmark 23 484.21x
Kensington London 23 1.65x
St Marylebone London 23 1.72x
Bradford On Avon 21 29.63x
Elswick 20 6.73x
Leicester St Margaret 20 2.96x
Newington 19 2.05x
Streatham 19 10.23x
Tipton 19 7.34x
Woodnewton 19 463.41x
Lambeth 18 0.82x
Sculcoates 18 4.58x
Everton 17 1.80x
Hackney London 17 1.21x
Norton In Moors 17 38.01x
Tunstall 17 45.86x
Tynemouth 17 8.52x
Alverstoke 16 8.62x
Burslem 16 6.61x
Elton 16 15.59x
Holy Trinity 16 2.68x
Nassington 16 261.01x
West Bromwich 16 3.31x
Fletton 15 94.40x
Kingston On Thames 15 5.12x
Manchester 15 1.12x
Easton 14 336.54x
Kings Norton 14 4.78x
Lewisham 14 3.07x
Paddington London 14 1.52x
Salisbury St Martin 14 60.76x
St Pancras London 14 0.69x
Woolwich 14 4.44x
Burton Upon Trent 13 6.58x
Byker 13 7.06x
Ryhope 13 25.15x
Sedgley 13 4.14x
Avington 12 685.71x
Chatham 12 5.11x
Hulme 12 1.94x
Hunslet 12 3.10x
Hutton Henry 12 76.53x
Wolstanton Knutton 12 23.26x
Bury 11 3.24x
Finedon 11 53.35x
Higher Booths 11 20.55x
Leek Lowe 11 9.79x
Newbottle 11 27.05x
St George Hanover 11 3.37x
Uppingham 11 50.21x
Wardour 11 169.49x
Washington 11 35.23x
Westminster St 11 11.92x
Clapham 10 3.20x
Edgbaston 10 5.11x
Gloucester Barton St 10 34.76x
Grinshill 10 337.84x
Handsworth 10 4.80x
Haughton 10 233.10x
Mirfield 10 7.34x
Netherhampton 10 628.93x
Petersfield 10 70.87x
Bedminster 9 2.38x
Chatteris 9 22.25x
Harborne 9 3.32x
Hetton Le Hole 9 9.54x
Knighton 9 57.51x
Leicester St Mary 9 4.01x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 2.15x
Oldham 9 0.94x
St Faith Winchester 9 37.64x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 168
John 158
Thomas 85
George 74
James 64
Henry 53
Joseph 45
Charles 40
Arthur 34
Edward 31
Alfred 27
Frederick 27
Samuel 26
Robert 25
Walter 22
Albert 20
Frank 17
Harry 17
Richard 14
Ernest 13
David 11
Herbert 9
Edwin 8
Francis 7
Matthew 6
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Fredrick 5
Jonathan 5
Leonard 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Andrew 4
Benjamin 4
Christopher 4
Edmund 4
Isaac 4
Oliver 4
Percy 4
Ralph 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
Hugh 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Sydney 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Aaron 2
Nathaniel 2

FAQ

Mould surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mould surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,561 people were recorded with the Mould surname. That placed it at #1,746 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mould surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,416 in 2016. That gives Mould a modern rank of #1,996.

What does the Mould surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English "mould" meaning "earth" or "soil".

What does the Mould map show?

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