NameCensus.

UK surname

Moulds

An occupational surname denoting someone who made molds or patterns for casting.

In the 1881 census there were 519 people recorded with the Moulds surname, ranking it #6,572 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 970, ranked #5,945, up from #6,572 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wistow, Somerby, Ropsley (Little Humby) and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Melton and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moulds is 1,042 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.9%.

1881 census count

519

Ranked #6,572

Modern count

970

2016, ranked #5,945

Peak year

2002

1,042 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moulds had 519 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,572 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 970 in 2016, ranked #5,945.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 838 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moulds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moulds surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moulds 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 350 #6,733
1861 historical 372 #6,857
1881 historical 519 #6,572
1891 historical 596 #6,422
1901 historical 705 #6,248
1911 historical 838 #5,279
1997 modern 1,015 #5,427
1998 modern 1,033 #5,530
1999 modern 1,027 #5,593
2000 modern 1,038 #5,512
2001 modern 1,016 #5,512
2002 modern 1,042 #5,500
2003 modern 1,005 #5,567
2004 modern 1,007 #5,564
2005 modern 998 #5,562
2006 modern 980 #5,645
2007 modern 980 #5,702
2008 modern 983 #5,728
2009 modern 996 #5,784
2010 modern 1,003 #5,869
2011 modern 1,004 #5,803
2012 modern 990 #5,784
2013 modern 997 #5,841
2014 modern 999 #5,860
2015 modern 992 #5,848
2016 modern 970 #5,945

Geography

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Where Moulds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wistow, Somerby, Ropsley (Little Humby), Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Melton, Huntingdonshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Uttlesford. 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 Wistow Huntingdonshire
2 Somerby, Ropsley (Little Humby) Lincolnshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 003 North Lincolnshire
2 Melton 001 Melton
3 Huntingdonshire 005 Huntingdonshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 014 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Uttlesford 005 Uttlesford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moulds

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moulds

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

Moulds 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

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

Meaning and origin of Moulds

The surname Moulds is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "molde," meaning "earth" or "soil," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have been associated with agriculture, working as farmers or landholders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a John le Mulde is mentioned. This early spelling variation of "Mulde" highlights the name's evolution over time.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various records across England, with instances found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard Mouldere is listed, and in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where a John Mulde is recorded.

The name Moulds may also have originated from place names, such as Moulton in Northamptonshire or Moulton in Lincolnshire. These place names derive from the Old English words "mol" (a hill or mound) and "tun" (an enclosure or settlement), suggesting that some early bearers of the name may have hailed from these locations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Moulds include Sir John Moulds (1566-1638), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was Robert Moulds (1720-1785), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Adelphi Terrace.

In the 19th century, Thomas Moulds (1828-1902) was a British railway engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of railway signaling systems. Additionally, Reverend John Moulds (1845-1923) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Church and the World" published in 1878.

Lastly, Edith Moulds (1892-1977) was a British artist and illustrator, renowned for her etchings and woodcut prints depicting rural landscapes and village scenes. Her works are held in various collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moulds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moulds 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. Lincolnshire leads with 130 Moulds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.06x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 130 16.06x
Leicestershire 100 17.81x
Yorkshire 47 0.94x
Lancashire 32 0.53x
Northamptonshire 26 5.46x
Surrey 26 1.05x
Kent 25 1.45x
Huntingdonshire 22 21.89x
Nottinghamshire 22 3.22x
Staffordshire 17 0.99x
Herefordshire 15 7.23x
Middlesex 14 0.28x
Derbyshire 8 1.01x
Durham 8 0.53x
Warwickshire 7 0.55x
Worcestershire 6 0.91x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.94x
Cheshire 2 0.18x
Devon 2 0.19x
Monmouthshire 2 0.55x
Somerset 2 0.25x
Essex 1 0.10x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 38 Moulds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.76x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 38 27.76x
Somerby In Grantham 23 1116.50x
Ropsley 21 1875.00x
Hose 18 2337.66x
Wistow 18 2647.06x
Scawby 16 597.01x
Barwell 14 471.38x
Sculcoates 11 13.83x
Scunthorpe 11 302.20x
Bermondsey 10 6.63x
Harby 10 980.39x
Plumstead 10 17.37x
Sheffield 10 6.26x
Lower Booths 9 83.64x
Burslem 8 16.34x
Darlington 8 13.76x
Newington 8 4.28x
Nottingham St Mary 8 4.53x
Orcop 8 833.33x
Wolstanton 8 15.41x
Kettering 7 36.34x
Leicester St Mary 7 15.44x
Liverpool 7 1.92x
Bunny 6 1333.33x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 33.31x
Chatham 6 12.63x
Great Hale 6 487.80x
Kings Norton 6 10.12x
Nether Hallam 6 8.84x
Burringham 5 531.91x
Camberwell 5 1.55x
East Ferry 5 2000.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 4.90x
Grantham 5 47.39x
North Stoke 5 1851.85x
Paston 5 247.52x
Scotter 5 270.27x
Spittlegate 5 44.64x
Sproxton 5 862.07x
Welby 5 735.29x
Birmingham 4 0.94x
Clapton 4 1081.08x
Holloway 4 408.16x
Holy Trinity 4 3.31x
Leicester All Sts 4 36.30x
Mansfield 4 16.94x
Much Dewchurch 4 408.16x
Paddington London 4 2.15x
Pennington In Leigh 4 34.69x
Worsbrough 4 27.21x
Boothby Pagnell 3 1304.35x
Bulkington 3 108.70x
Helpstone 3 243.90x
Peakirk 3 697.67x
Salford 3 1.70x
Shoreditch London 3 1.37x
South Leverton 3 428.57x
St Marylebone London 3 1.11x
Widnes 3 6.92x
Bedwellty 2 3.10x
Bowling 2 4.03x
Colsterworth 2 116.96x
Harwood 2 63.69x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.96x
Spalding 2 12.45x
St Budeaux 2 60.98x
Thorney 2 56.18x
Withiel Florey 2 425.53x
Barrowby 1 71.43x
Bradford 1 0.82x
Branston 1 227.27x
Daventry 1 14.84x
Derby St Werburgh 1 2.18x
Govan 1 0.25x
Hereford St Owen 1 14.58x
Kensington London 1 0.36x
Newark Upon Trent 1 4.08x
Stamford Baron St Martin 1 39.22x
Sutton In Macclesfield 1 8.62x
Woking 1 6.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 16
Hannah 11
Ann 9
Emma 8
Annie 7
Eliza 7
Louisa 7
Ada 6
Emily 6
Jane 6
Ellen 5
Harriett 5
Kate 5
Alice 4
Fanny 4
Lucy 4
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Janet 2
Jemima 2
Jessie 2
Lilly 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Susannah 2
Teresa 2
Anne 1
Catarine 1
Charles 1
Elina 1
Elizth. 1
Elly 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
John 1
Katie 1
Keziah 1
Lidia 1
Lillian 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 44
William 35
George 24
Joseph 16
Thomas 15
Charles 12
James 10
Arthur 8
Henry 7
Walter 7
Edward 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Harry 4
Robert 4
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Leonard 3
Abraham 2
Earnest 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Louis 2
Oliver 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Amos 1
Archibald 1
Collin 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Frederic 1
H.Gladstone 1
Harrold 1
Henery 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jn. 1
Jonah 1
Lawrence 1
Leopold 1
Lewis 1
Orlando 1
R.S. 1
R.W. 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Moulds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moulds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 519 people were recorded with the Moulds surname. That placed it at #6,572 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moulds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 970 in 2016. That gives Moulds a modern rank of #5,945.

What does the Moulds surname mean?

An occupational surname denoting someone who made molds or patterns for casting.

What does the Moulds map show?

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