NameCensus.

UK surname

Moulton

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Moulton, meaning "settlement on a hill."

In the 1881 census there were 1,483 people recorded with the Moulton surname, ranking it #2,821 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,078, ranked #3,115, down from #2,821 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Babergh and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moulton is 2,261 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.1%.

1881 census count

1,483

Ranked #2,821

Modern count

2,078

2016, ranked #3,115

Peak year

1999

2,261 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moulton had 1,483 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,821 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,078 in 2016, ranked #3,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,057 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moulton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moulton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moulton 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 916 #3,010
1861 historical 899 #3,080
1881 historical 1,483 #2,821
1891 historical 1,537 #2,870
1901 historical 1,829 #2,877
1911 historical 2,057 #2,426
1997 modern 2,116 #2,919
1998 modern 2,220 #2,900
1999 modern 2,261 #2,865
2000 modern 2,214 #2,909
2001 modern 2,205 #2,865
2002 modern 2,225 #2,893
2003 modern 2,170 #2,898
2004 modern 2,151 #2,924
2005 modern 2,115 #2,930
2006 modern 2,106 #2,947
2007 modern 2,092 #2,991
2008 modern 2,088 #3,018
2009 modern 2,106 #3,067
2010 modern 2,182 #3,042
2011 modern 2,142 #3,053
2012 modern 2,089 #3,066
2013 modern 2,117 #3,080
2014 modern 2,132 #3,078
2015 modern 2,078 #3,129
2016 modern 2,078 #3,115

Geography

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Where Moultons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Babergh, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Barnsley and South Norfolk. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Sudbury All Saints, Sudbury St Gregory, Sudbury St Peter, Sudbury St Bartholomew Suffolk
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 036 Cheshire East
2 Babergh 007 Babergh
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
5 South Norfolk 012 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moulton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moulton

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Moulton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moulton is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moulton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moulton 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 Moulton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moulton

The surname Moulton has its origins in England, specifically in the medieval period. It is a habitational name, derived from the place name Moulton, which is found in various locations across the country, including Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was written as "Molestone" and "Mouueltone." These early forms suggest that the name may have originated from the Old English words "mul" (a sandy hill) and "tun" (an enclosure or settlement), indicating that the initial bearers of the name likely resided near a sandy hill or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Moulton was Sir Thomas Moulton, a prominent English judge who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King Edward II and played a significant role in the legal proceedings against the Knights Templar.

In the 15th century, Sir John Moulton was a notable figure who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1453. He was a wealthy merchant and played an influential role in the city's governance during a turbulent period of English history.

During the 16th century, Thomas Moulton (1542-1597) gained recognition as a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament. He was a staunch supporter of the Protestant Reformation and served as a legal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name Moulton was associated with several notable individuals, including Richard Moulton (1608-1688), who was a prominent Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Newbury, Massachusetts, in the early days of the American colonies.

Another notable figure was Thomas Moulton (1629-1696), an English-born American soldier and landowner who played a crucial role in the defense of New England against Native American attacks during King Philip's War in the late 17th century.

As the name spread across England and later to the American colonies, various place names and locations were derived from it, such as Moulton, Northamptonshire; Moulton, Lincolnshire; and Moulton, Cheshire, further reinforcing the surname's connection to specific geographic areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moulton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moulton 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. Cheshire leads with 284 Moultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.88x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 284 8.88x
Lancashire 165 0.96x
Middlesex 160 1.10x
Norfolk 95 4.27x
Surrey 78 1.11x
Staffordshire 77 1.57x
Yorkshire 73 0.51x
Gloucestershire 68 2.39x
Cambridgeshire 55 5.99x
Warwickshire 52 1.42x
Essex 49 1.71x
Suffolk 44 2.49x
Monmouthshire 34 3.25x
Flintshire 29 7.45x
Kent 26 0.53x
Devon 25 0.83x
Worcestershire 25 1.32x
Sussex 23 0.94x
Somerset 22 0.94x
Hampshire 21 0.71x
Bedfordshire 15 2.00x
Northamptonshire 14 1.03x
Glamorgan 9 0.36x
Shropshire 7 0.56x
Wiltshire 6 0.47x
Huntingdonshire 5 1.74x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.09x
Leicestershire 3 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.15x
Denbighshire 2 0.37x
Hertfordshire 2 0.20x
Lanarkshire 2 0.04x
Lincolnshire 2 0.09x
Northumberland 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.16x
Cumberland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nantwich in Cheshire leads with 42 Moultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.06x.

Place Total Index
Nantwich 42 113.06x
Toxteth Park 40 6.87x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 7.14x
Lambeth 27 2.14x
Congleton 26 47.06x
Aston 25 2.49x
Sawston 25 282.49x
Morley 23 30.82x
Newington 21 3.92x
Runcorn 16 21.70x
Chester St John Baptist 15 26.10x
St Pancras London 15 1.29x
St Woollos 15 12.83x
Stapeley 15 501.67x
Sudbury St Gregory 15 106.08x
Chester St Oswald 14 24.18x
Hawarden Saltney 14 257.35x
St George Hanover 14 7.40x
West Dean 14 30.34x
West Derby 14 2.78x
Bridgewater 13 20.54x
Bromley London 13 4.08x
Camberwell 13 1.40x
Chatteris 13 55.53x
Islington London 13 0.93x
Limehouse London 13 8.17x
Liverpool 13 1.25x
Sudbury All Sts 13 241.64x
Swaffham 13 71.74x
Wolstanton 13 8.75x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 12 331.49x
Great Boughton 12 108.89x
Gressenhall 12 291.26x
North Elmham 12 222.22x
Wharton 12 68.93x
Willaston In Nantwich 12 121.58x
Ardwick 11 7.09x
Cranham 11 567.01x
Dudley 11 4.78x
Fordingbridge 11 68.11x
Haslington 11 122.36x
Manchester 11 1.42x
Monks Coppenhall 11 9.12x
Salford 11 2.18x
St Briavels 11 300.55x
Paddington London 10 1.88x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.43x
Bromborough 9 135.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 3.30x
Edgbaston 9 7.95x
Great Yarmouth 9 4.88x
Hunsterson 9 927.84x
Northam 9 40.95x
Over 9 27.69x
Swansea Town 9 4.35x
Wolstanton Chesterton 9 36.01x
Hastings St Mary In The 8 15.36x
Kings Norton 8 4.72x
Barnsley 7 4.73x
Burslem 7 5.00x
Charlton Next Woolwich 7 13.58x
Crompton 7 14.30x
East Donyland 7 101.60x
Exeter St Sidwell 7 10.14x
Farnborough 7 22.45x
Hulme 7 1.95x
Hunslet 7 3.13x
Kirkheaton 7 30.07x
Llangwm Ucha 7 469.80x
Luton 7 5.39x
Mold Bistree 7 110.58x
Shadwell London 7 17.27x
Shavington Cum Gresty 7 132.33x
Sutton In Macclesfield 7 21.10x
Terrington St Clement 7 69.58x
Wakes Colne 7 280.00x
Brighton 6 1.22x
Enfield 6 6.31x
Tottenham 6 2.60x
Wellingborough 6 8.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 85
Sarah 66
Elizabeth 62
Emma 30
Ann 29
Annie 27
Eliza 25
Jane 25
Ellen 23
Hannah 22
Alice 20
Emily 18
Martha 17
Harriet 15
Margaret 14
Edith 11
Louisa 11
Florence 10
Anne 9
Caroline 9
Fanny 9
Frances 9
Kate 9
Lucy 8
Maria 8
Esther 7
Laura 6
Ada 5
Amelia 5
Catherine 5
Charlotte 5
Elizth. 5
Ethel 5
Matilda 5
Susan 5
Eleanor 4
Henrietta 4
Rebecca 4
Clara 3
Grace 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Lydia 3
Mabel 3
Maud 3
Rosa 3
Selina 3
Winifred 3
Amy 2
Dora 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 102
John 79
George 60
Thomas 54
James 37
Joseph 32
Charles 31
Robert 22
Arthur 21
Henry 21
Samuel 17
Edward 13
Frederick 13
Alfred 11
Richard 11
Albert 9
Harry 9
Walter 7
Ernest 6
Stephen 6
Daniel 5
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Fredrick 4
Geo. 4
Alexander 3
Ebenezer 3
Fred 3
Levi 3
Robt. 3
Thos. 3
Anselm 2
Augustus 2
Chas. 2
Edwin 2
Enoch 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
Janes 2
Josiah 2
Jules 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Morris 2
Willm. 2
Edwd. 1

FAQ

Moulton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moulton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,483 people were recorded with the Moulton surname. That placed it at #2,821 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moulton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,078 in 2016. That gives Moulton a modern rank of #3,115.

What does the Moulton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Moulton, meaning "settlement on a hill."

What does the Moulton map show?

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