NameCensus.

UK surname

Moye

A French occupational surname referring to a shepherd or tender of oxen.

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Moye surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stonham Parva, St Leonard Shoreditch and Ipswich St Peter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Colchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moye is 383 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.1%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

1999

383 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moye had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 280 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moye surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moye 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 113 #19,151
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 218 #14,023
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 280 #11,982
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 382 #11,779
1999 modern 383 #11,823
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 359 #12,153
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 335 #12,815
2004 modern 332 #12,951
2005 modern 325 #13,080
2006 modern 311 #13,577
2007 modern 313 #13,648
2008 modern 308 #13,882
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 315 #14,223
2011 modern 305 #14,439
2012 modern 288 #14,934
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 302 #14,772
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Moyes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stonham Parva, St Leonard Shoreditch, Ipswich St Peter, London parishes and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Mid Suffolk, Colchester, Rochford and West Dorset. 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 Stonham Parva Suffolk
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Ipswich St Peter Suffolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 004 Babergh
2 Mid Suffolk 002 Mid Suffolk
3 Colchester 021 Colchester
4 Rochford 001 Rochford
5 West Dorset 006 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moye

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moye

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

Moye is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moye falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Moye

The surname MOYE has its origins in the French language and first appeared in the Normandy region of northern France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the Old French word "moie" which means "wet or damp land", referring to someone who lived near a marshy or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MOYE name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name is listed as "Moye" and appears in reference to landholdings in various counties across southern England.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Moye serving as a knight and landowner in Wiltshire, England. Around this time, variations in spelling such as "Moyie" and "Moije" also began to emerge. By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries and Germany, where it was recorded as "Moeye" and "Moyen".

One notable bearer of the MOYE surname was Sir Thomas Moye (c.1490-1560), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He held various positions at court and was granted lands in Kent and Essex.

Another individual of historical significance was Jean Moye (1535-1592), a French painter and draughtsman who worked in the Mannerist style. He is known for his religious paintings and portraits commissioned by the French nobility.

In Scotland, the MOYE name can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Moy or Moye who served as a burgess (municipal officer) in Aberdeen in 1587.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded bearers of the MOYE surname was John Moye, an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the 1640s. His descendants later moved westward and can be found in census records from states such as Kentucky and Tennessee.

Throughout its history, the MOYE surname has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from landed gentry and nobility to artists, merchants, and tradespeople. While not a particularly common name, it has endured for centuries and can still be found among families of diverse backgrounds today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moye 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. Suffolk leads with 90 Moyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.05x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 90 39.05x
Middlesex 44 2.33x
Norfolk 13 4.47x
Surrey 13 1.41x
Yorkshire 11 0.59x
Essex 10 2.68x
Lancashire 7 0.31x
Kent 3 0.46x
Glamorgan 2 0.61x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 20 Moyes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.38x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 20 24.38x
Hackney London 19 17.91x
Harleston 13 26000.00x
Little Stonham 12 6000.00x
Cleckheaton 10 144.72x
Ipswich St Peter 10 322.58x
Bermondsey 9 15.98x
Groton 9 3000.00x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 102.30x
Sporle With Palgrave 8 1702.13x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 7 327.10x
Stowmarket 7 263.16x
Carnforth 6 487.80x
Great Bardfield 6 983.61x
Woolpit 6 895.52x
Loughton 4 216.22x
Haughley 3 526.32x
Ipswich St Mathew 3 46.44x
Sproughton 3 750.00x
Woolwich 3 12.58x
Cardiff St Mary 2 11.02x
Diss 2 80.32x
Docking 2 217.39x
Ipswich St Helen 2 73.26x
Mile End Old Town 2 6.70x
Reigate Foreign 2 20.04x
Barrow 1 169.49x
Beyton 1 454.55x
Chelsea London 1 1.75x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.24x
Colby 1 625.00x
Edmonton 1 6.56x
Framlingham 1 60.98x
Great Finborough 1 370.37x
Guildford St Nicholas 1 61.35x
Manchester 1 0.99x
Mendlesham 1 136.99x
Penally 1 250.00x
Polstead 1 185.19x
Shire Hall Yard 1 500.00x
Walton On Thames 1 23.64x
Wyke In Bradford 1 29.85x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Moye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Moye surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Moye a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Moye surname mean?

A French occupational surname referring to a shepherd or tender of oxen.

What does the Moye map show?

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