NameCensus.

UK surname

Mowat

An Scottish surname derived from a medieval personal name meaning "bald" or "tonsured."

In the 1881 census there were 2,058 people recorded with the Mowat surname, ranking it #2,140 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,850, ranked #3,430, down from #2,140 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Canisbay, Hoy and Graemsay and Wick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caithness North West, Caithness North East and Thurso West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mowat is 2,249 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.1%.

1881 census count

2,058

Ranked #2,140

Modern count

1,850

2016, ranked #3,430

Peak year

1901

2,249 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mowat had 2,058 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,140 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,850 in 2016, ranked #3,430.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,249 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mowat surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mowat surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mowat 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 1,543 #1,856
1861 historical 1,655 #1,731
1881 historical 2,058 #2,140
1891 historical 2,044 #2,260
1901 historical 2,249 #2,409
1911 historical 328 #10,714
1997 modern 1,731 #3,442
1998 modern 1,815 #3,428
1999 modern 1,813 #3,450
2000 modern 1,867 #3,349
2001 modern 1,799 #3,392
2002 modern 1,838 #3,397
2003 modern 1,782 #3,420
2004 modern 1,803 #3,387
2005 modern 1,797 #3,373
2006 modern 1,797 #3,379
2007 modern 1,819 #3,368
2008 modern 1,832 #3,380
2009 modern 1,858 #3,417
2010 modern 1,898 #3,421
2011 modern 1,865 #3,431
2012 modern 1,806 #3,471
2013 modern 1,841 #3,467
2014 modern 1,858 #3,461
2015 modern 1,846 #3,455
2016 modern 1,850 #3,430

Geography

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Where Mowats are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Canisbay, Hoy and Graemsay, Wick, Edinburgh and Birsay and Harray. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

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

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Canisbay Caithness
2 Hoy and Graemsay Orkney
3 Wick Caithness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Birsay and Harray Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caithness North West Highland
2 Caithness North East Highland
3 Thurso West Highland
4 Isles Orkney Islands
5 North Mainland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mowat

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mowat

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mowat, 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 Mowat surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mowat 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, Mowat 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

Mowat is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mowat falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mowat

The surname MOWAT originates from Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the old Gaelic word "Magh-ath" meaning "plain" or "field on a river." The earliest recorded spelling was "Mouatt" in 1189, when it appeared in the records of the Abbey of Cupar in Fife, Scotland.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various Scottish manuscripts, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One notable bearer was Sir Thomas Mowat, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was widespread in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Caithness and Sutherland. One famous Mowat from this period was Sir Robert Mowat (1580-1652), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland.

In the 18th century, the name began to spread to other parts of the British Isles, including England and Ireland. A notable figure was Farquhar Mowat (1720-1788), a Scottish-born merchant who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, and whose descendants became prominent in the region.

The 19th century saw the name further dispersed, with many Mowats immigrating to North America and other parts of the world. One notable bearer was Sir Oliver Mowat (1820-1903), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the Premier of Ontario from 1872 to 1896.

Other notable individuals with the surname MOWAT include: Donald Mowat (1888-1969), a Scottish-born Canadian writer and journalist; Farley Mowat (1921-2014), a Canadian author and environmentalist; and Gordon Mowat-Wilson (1929-2014), a British neurologist who identified a rare genetic disorder now known as Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mowat families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mowat 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. Caithness leads with 536 Mowats recorded in 1881 and an index of 195.29x.

County Total Index
Caithness 536 195.29x
Orkney 367 166.41x
Aberdeenshire 236 12.71x
Lanarkshire 196 3.02x
Midlothian 166 6.18x
Kincardineshire 85 34.82x
Angus 84 4.52x
Durham 42 0.70x
Northumberland 36 1.21x
Lancashire 28 0.12x
Banffshire 26 6.25x
Shetland 26 12.70x
Middlesex 25 0.12x
Surrey 18 0.18x
Yorkshire 14 0.07x
Renfrewshire 13 0.84x
Stirlingshire 13 1.76x
Clackmannanshire 12 7.25x
Morayshire 12 3.85x
Ayrshire 11 0.73x
Ross-shire 11 2.00x
East Lothian 10 3.77x
Perthshire 10 1.11x
Cheshire 8 0.18x
Inverness-shire 8 1.34x
Kent 7 0.10x
Fife 6 0.51x
Cornwall 5 0.22x
Buteshire 4 3.29x
Hampshire 4 0.10x
Sutherland 4 2.59x
Berkshire 3 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.24x
Glamorgan 3 0.09x
Herefordshire 3 0.37x
Argyllshire 2 0.36x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.37x
Essex 2 0.05x
Peeblesshire 2 2.12x
Royal Navy 2 0.84x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.23x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Kinross-shire 1 1.97x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.34x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x
Roxburghshire 1 0.28x
Wigtownshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wick in Caithness leads with 144 Mowats recorded in 1881 and an index of 162.42x.

Place Total Index
Wick 144 162.42x
Canisbay 142 788.01x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 90 8.33x
Hoy Graemsay 75 1811.59x
Aberdeen Old Machar 63 16.25x
Govan 63 3.93x
Barony 62 3.78x
Birsay Harray 57 356.03x
Bower 53 479.64x
Glasgow 53 4.60x
Olrig 44 320.93x
Latheron 41 89.31x
Evie Rendall 38 408.16x
Thurso 38 88.76x
Kirkwall St Ola 36 108.99x
South Ronaldshay 35 153.37x
Walls Flotta 34 329.14x
Stromness 29 175.33x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 25 7.20x
Lerwick Gulberwick 24 75.73x
Watten 24 248.70x
South Leith 22 7.28x
Dunnet 20 181.32x
New Deer 20 59.51x
Fordoun 19 138.89x
Halkirk 18 96.93x
Pitsligo 18 101.47x
Glenbervie 17 254.49x
St Andrews Deerness 17 146.55x
Fetteresso 16 41.82x
Westray Papa Westray 16 91.48x
Cullen 15 97.34x
Rathen 15 77.12x
Tyrie 15 64.38x
Edinburgh High Church 14 83.09x
Fraserburgh 14 26.79x
Menmuir 14 269.75x
Rousay Egilshay 14 181.82x
North Leith 12 9.66x
Reay 12 79.73x
Tillicoultry 12 32.58x
Toxteth Park 12 1.49x
Garvock 11 374.15x
Monymusk 11 138.36x
South Shields 11 20.71x
Foveran 10 71.17x
Liff Benvie 10 3.55x
Backworth 9 113.92x
Bishopwearmouth 9 1.76x
Duffus 9 32.79x
Dundee 9 1.30x
Echt 9 100.67x
Kirkden 9 77.45x
Craig 8 44.59x
Inverness 8 5.31x
Ratcliffe London 8 7.23x
Stracathro 8 238.10x
West Derby 8 1.15x
Westoe 8 2.37x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 7 11.02x
Falkirk 7 4.04x
Firth Stenness 7 74.00x
Handsworth 7 13.33x
Lasswade 7 11.40x
Tain 7 33.57x
Brechin 6 8.22x
Camberwell 6 0.47x
Haddington 6 15.31x
Hartley 6 75.47x
Kinneff Catterline 6 87.21x
Longforgan 6 47.17x
Monifieth 6 9.15x
Montrose 6 5.33x
Old Monkland 6 2.33x
Tynemouth 6 3.76x
Banchory Devenick 5 21.93x
Cruden 5 20.91x
Madron Penzance 5 6.06x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 2.81x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 5 9.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 11
James 10
Thomas 8
George 7
Robert 4
Peter 3
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
David 2
Edward 2
Gilbert 2
Harry 2
Jno. 2
Magnus 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alex 1
Alexander 1
Angus 1
Archibold 1
Cuthbert 1
Donald 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Jno.B. 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Thompson 1

FAQ

Mowat surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mowat surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,058 people were recorded with the Mowat surname. That placed it at #2,140 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mowat surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,850 in 2016. That gives Mowat a modern rank of #3,430.

What does the Mowat surname mean?

An Scottish surname derived from a medieval personal name meaning "bald" or "tonsured."

What does the Mowat map show?

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