NameCensus.

UK surname

Moulding

A surname derived from the occupation of shaping or molding materials such as wood or clay.

In the 1881 census there were 720 people recorded with the Moulding surname, ranking it #5,060 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,114, ranked #5,279, down from #5,060 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bingley, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Leicester and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moulding is 1,292 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.7%.

1881 census count

720

Ranked #5,060

Modern count

1,114

2016, ranked #5,279

Peak year

1998

1,292 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moulding had 720 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,060 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,114 in 2016, ranked #5,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moulding surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moulding surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moulding 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 441 #5,582
1861 historical 461 #5,634
1881 historical 720 #5,060
1891 historical 845 #4,831
1901 historical 927 #5,028
1911 historical 1,143 #4,085
1997 modern 1,233 #4,606
1998 modern 1,292 #4,599
1999 modern 1,285 #4,647
2000 modern 1,258 #4,714
2001 modern 1,228 #4,710
2002 modern 1,248 #4,736
2003 modern 1,197 #4,816
2004 modern 1,212 #4,775
2005 modern 1,174 #4,849
2006 modern 1,149 #4,937
2007 modern 1,159 #4,954
2008 modern 1,159 #4,974
2009 modern 1,176 #5,025
2010 modern 1,200 #5,046
2011 modern 1,188 #5,026
2012 modern 1,140 #5,126
2013 modern 1,140 #5,215
2014 modern 1,144 #5,222
2015 modern 1,116 #5,293
2016 modern 1,114 #5,279

Geography

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Where Mouldings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bingley, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Preston, Tottenham and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Leicester, East Cambridgeshire, East Devon and Sunderland. 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 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Tottenham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
2 Leicester 037 Leicester
3 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
4 East Devon 005 East Devon
5 Sunderland 014 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moulding

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moulding

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Moulding is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moulding is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Moulding

The surname Moulding is believed to have originated in England, possibly during the late medieval period or early modern era. It is thought to be an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "moulde," which referred to a mold or pattern used in shaping or casting objects.

The name was likely first borne by individuals who worked as molders or makers of molds, particularly in the metalworking or construction industries. Some early variants of the spelling include Moulder, Mouldar, and Moulter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moulding can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a 13th-century record of tax assessments, where a Robert Moulding is mentioned in 1273.

In the 16th century, the Moulding surname appears in various parish records and tax rolls across England. Notable examples include John Moulding, who was born in Leicestershire around 1550, and William Moulding, a landowner from Lincolnshire mentioned in the 1598 Lay Subsidy Rolls.

During the 17th century, the surname began to spread beyond England. In 1635, a Thomas Moulding is recorded as having immigrated to Virginia, one of the earliest known instances of the name in the American colonies.

One of the most prominent individuals with the Moulding surname was Sir Thomas Moulding (1634-1705), an English politician and landowner from Buckinghamshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for Aylesbury from 1685 to 1689.

Another notable figure was John Moulding (1722-1805), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several important projects in London, including the construction of the Adelphi Buildings and the renovation of Somerset House.

In the 19th century, the name appears in various parts of the English-speaking world. For instance, Robert Moulding (1802-1878) was a successful merchant and shipowner from Sunderland, England, while James Moulding (1829-1900) was a Canadian politician and farmer from Ontario.

Other historical figures with the Moulding surname include Francis Moulding (1816-1885), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes, and George Moulding (1833-1896), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moulding families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moulding 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. Lancashire leads with 234 Mouldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 234 2.80x
Yorkshire 102 1.46x
Middlesex 61 0.87x
Sussex 52 4.39x
Leicestershire 48 6.16x
Northamptonshire 34 5.14x
Devon 26 1.78x
Wiltshire 20 3.22x
Hertfordshire 18 3.71x
Surrey 16 0.47x
Berkshire 15 2.84x
Cheshire 15 0.97x
Gloucestershire 14 1.01x
Northumberland 11 1.05x
Durham 9 0.43x
Warwickshire 8 0.45x
Glamorgan 7 0.57x
Staffordshire 7 0.29x
Kent 4 0.17x
Lincolnshire 4 0.36x
Oxfordshire 4 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.67x
Shropshire 3 0.49x
Somerset 2 0.18x
Hampshire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.45x
Westmorland 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 37 Mouldings recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.66x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 37 16.66x
Leicester St Margaret 32 16.83x
Bingley 30 67.60x
Oswaldtwistle 30 101.73x
Preston 30 13.44x
Tottenham 21 18.75x
Axminster 17 247.81x
Horbury 14 114.85x
Keighley 14 18.85x
Marple 14 131.33x
Walton Le Dale 14 62.42x
Toxteth Park 12 4.25x
Leyland 10 68.87x
North Meols 10 12.24x
St Marylebone London 10 2.66x
Billingshurst 9 231.96x
Fittleworth 9 535.71x
Great Faringdon 9 118.58x
Great Little Marsden 9 23.54x
North Stoke 9 3600.00x
Shoreditch London 9 2.95x
Barton In Preston 8 898.88x
Irthlingborough 8 123.27x
Woodford 8 217.39x
Broughton In Salford 7 9.17x
Hexham 7 43.21x
Idle 7 21.66x
Leeds 7 1.78x
Leicester Black Friars 7 137.80x
South Shields 7 37.55x
Stafford St Mary 7 20.83x
Swansea Town 7 6.97x
Thornton In Fylde 7 38.34x
Amberley 6 340.91x
Barrow In Furness 6 5.29x
Broad Hinton 6 454.55x
Chelsea London 6 2.83x
Church 6 50.93x
Halliwell 6 19.76x
Northampton St Sepulchre 6 17.83x
Woking 6 29.06x
Bengeo 5 88.81x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 3.85x
Cheetham 5 8.03x
Crumpsall 5 25.42x
Ecclesfield 5 9.78x
Islington London 5 0.73x
Leicester St Mary 5 7.94x
Maiseyhampton 5 617.28x
Northampton St Peter 5 124.38x
Penwortham 5 126.58x
Aldbourn 4 110.50x
Alston 4 102.83x
Ardsley 4 49.81x
Bishop Stortford 4 24.71x
Bradford 4 2.37x
Burpham 4 408.16x
Bury 4 322.58x
Byker 4 7.73x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 7.55x
Foleshill 4 21.44x
Musbury 4 312.50x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.55x
Singleton 4 465.12x
St George Hanover 4 4.36x
Ware 4 28.78x
Warkworth 4 67.23x
Whittle Le Woods 4 144.40x
Avebury 3 171.43x
Bentham 3 56.50x
Brighton 3 1.25x
Chobham 3 49.59x
Hove 3 5.77x
Mile End Old Town 3 2.70x
Northowram 3 6.14x
Reading St Giles 3 5.79x
Spittlegate 3 19.29x
Stapleton 3 11.46x
Wigan 3 2.57x
Wilsden 3 41.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 53
Elizabeth 39
Margaret 24
Jane 22
Sarah 17
Alice 16
Annie 16
Ann 11
Ellen 11
Harriet 11
Hannah 8
Charlotte 7
Emily 7
Lucy 7
Emma 6
Kate 6
Martha 6
Clara 5
Eliza 5
Florence 5
Fanny 4
Rachel 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Betsy 3
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Dinah 3
Elizth. 3
Ethel 3
M. 3
Nancy 3
Amy 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Elizebeth 2
Flora 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Margt. 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Cartherine 1
Elizebess 1
Elizh. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 52
John 41
James 25
Thomas 25
Henry 18
Joseph 15
George 13
Richard 13
Edward 9
Robert 6
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Harry 5
Samuel 5
Charles 4
David 4
Francis 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Ephraim 3
Frederick 3
Rowland 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
J. 2
Jane 2
Jesse 2
Rawson 2
Roger 2
Tom 2
Aloyous 1
Andrew 1
Benjiman 1
C. 1
Chas. 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Joe 1
Leeming 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1

FAQ

Moulding surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moulding surname in 1881?

In 1881, 720 people were recorded with the Moulding surname. That placed it at #5,060 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moulding surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,114 in 2016. That gives Moulding a modern rank of #5,279.

What does the Moulding surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of shaping or molding materials such as wood or clay.

What does the Moulding map show?

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