NameCensus.

UK surname

Moxley

From the place name Moxley, derived from the Old English words "maec," meaning marsh or bog, and "leah," meaning woodland clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 192 people recorded with the Moxley surname, ranking it #13,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, down from #13,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St James and St Paul and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Flintshire and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moxley is 302 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.3%.

1881 census count

192

Ranked #13,185

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1901

302 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moxley had 192 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 302 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Moxley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moxley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moxley 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 132 #14,174
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 192 #13,185
1891 historical 272 #11,957
1901 historical 302 #11,592
1911 historical 253 #12,776
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 238 #16,308
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 214 #17,378
2006 modern 216 #17,397
2007 modern 207 #18,080
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 206 #18,657
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 212 #18,820
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 215 #18,659
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

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Where Moxleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St James and St Paul, London parishes, St Pancras and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Flintshire, Havering and Wandsworth. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 St James and St Paul Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
2 Flintshire 006 Flintshire
3 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
4 Havering 027 Havering
5 Wandsworth 036 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moxley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moxley

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

Moxley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Moxley

The surname Moxley originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "moxa" meaning "muddy" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a forest". This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a muddy clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Moxley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Moxeleye". This medieval document was a census of landowners in England. The name is also mentioned in the Coroners' Rolls of the County of Stafford in 1286, indicating its presence in that region.

In the 14th century, the name was spelled "Moxeley" in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327. This spelling variation likely reflects the local pronunciation at the time. The Moxley surname is also linked to several place names in Staffordshire, such as Moxley and Moxley Green, further reinforcing its origins in that county.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Moxley surname was John Moxley, a landowner in Staffordshire who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332. Another prominent figure was Thomas Moxley, who served as the Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1486.

In the 16th century, the Moxley name appears in the Parish Registers of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, with the baptism of John Moxley in 1565. The Moxley family continued to have a presence in Staffordshire over the centuries, with individuals such as William Moxley (1612-1688), a wealthy landowner, and Samuel Moxley (1678-1742), a notable clergyman.

Moving into the 17th century, the Moxley surname started to spread beyond Staffordshire. One notable individual was Edward Moxley (1628-1675), a Puritan divine and author who was born in Wiltshire. In the 18th century, there was Joseph Moxley (1713-1790), a British naval officer who served during the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

As the Moxley name continued to disperse across England and eventually to other parts of the world, it became associated with various professions and achievements. Some examples include John Moxley (1798-1864), a British botanist and horticulturist, and Thomas Moxley (1826-1904), a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Manchester.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moxley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moxley 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. Middlesex leads with 49 Moxleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 49 2.60x
Monmouthshire 34 24.98x
Hampshire 21 5.44x
Surrey 17 1.85x
Yorkshire 15 0.80x
Gloucestershire 14 3.79x
Herefordshire 12 15.55x
Somerset 10 3.30x
Warwickshire 7 1.47x
Cheshire 4 0.96x
Staffordshire 3 0.47x
Essex 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.77x
Kent 1 0.16x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 4.46x
Sussex 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberystruth in Monmouthshire leads with 21 Moxleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 175.00x.

Place Total Index
Aberystruth 21 175.00x
Bristol St James St Paul 14 113.73x
Southampton St Mary 14 57.71x
St Pancras London 10 6.60x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 23.76x
Hereford All Sts 8 225.99x
Llangibby 8 2580.65x
Portsea 7 9.26x
Willesden 7 39.44x
Keynsham 6 275.23x
Shipley 6 61.98x
Southcoates 6 57.92x
Ealing 5 29.73x
Lambeth 5 3.05x
Aston 4 3.06x
Bethnal Green London 4 4.89x
Graig 4 655.74x
Kensington London 4 3.82x
Over Stowey 4 1176.47x
Ratcliffe London 4 38.46x
Tranmere 4 26.20x
Birmingham 3 1.90x
Cheadle 3 98.36x
Hackney London 3 2.84x
Linthorpe 3 26.95x
Little Dewchurch 3 1428.57x
Camberwell 2 1.66x
Hammersmith London 2 4.31x
Kingsbury 2 408.16x
Norton Folgate London 2 322.58x
Poplar London 2 5.63x
Stoke Newington London 2 13.64x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.89x
Cowbridge 1 126.58x
Hampstead London 1 3.41x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 14.77x
Lewisham 1 2.92x
New Brentford 1 101.01x
Ocle Pitchard 1 555.56x
Royal Navy 1 5.21x
St Woollos 1 6.58x
Watford 1 9.94x
West Ham 1 1.22x
Woking 1 18.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 14
Jane 6
Sarah 5
Alice 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Bertha 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Angela 1
Annabella 1
Dora 1
Elan 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Jaine 1
Jeanetta 1
Jennett 1
Jesse 1
Kitty 1
Laura 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 9
James 7
Alfred 6
Thomas 6
Henry 5
Richard 5
Albert 4
George 4
Stephen 3
Charles 2
David 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Tom 2
Alexander 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Bailey 1
Caroline 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Fred.J. 1
Frederick 1
Frederk. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Richd. 1
Sam 1

FAQ

Moxley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moxley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 192 people were recorded with the Moxley surname. That placed it at #13,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moxley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Moxley a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Moxley surname mean?

From the place name Moxley, derived from the Old English words "maec," meaning marsh or bog, and "leah," meaning woodland clearing.

What does the Moxley map show?

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