NameCensus.

UK surname

Moyes

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Moyes in Normandy.

In the 1881 census there were 1,286 people recorded with the Moyes surname, ranking it #3,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,640, ranked #3,798, down from #3,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to KInghorn, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Cardenden and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moyes is 1,796 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.5%.

1881 census count

1,286

Ranked #3,175

Modern count

1,640

2016, ranked #3,798

Peak year

1901

1,796 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moyes had 1,286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,640 in 2016, ranked #3,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,796 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Moyes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moyes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moyes 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 822 #3,281
1861 historical 856 #3,233
1881 historical 1,286 #3,175
1891 historical 1,542 #2,861
1901 historical 1,796 #2,913
1911 historical 915 #4,885
1997 modern 1,662 #3,579
1998 modern 1,725 #3,590
1999 modern 1,733 #3,600
2000 modern 1,694 #3,652
2001 modern 1,644 #3,683
2002 modern 1,664 #3,709
2003 modern 1,670 #3,637
2004 modern 1,641 #3,685
2005 modern 1,623 #3,686
2006 modern 1,615 #3,709
2007 modern 1,613 #3,741
2008 modern 1,655 #3,683
2009 modern 1,674 #3,732
2010 modern 1,692 #3,778
2011 modern 1,660 #3,797
2012 modern 1,634 #3,767
2013 modern 1,670 #3,762
2014 modern 1,677 #3,766
2015 modern 1,638 #3,817
2016 modern 1,640 #3,798

Geography

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Where Moyes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around KInghorn, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Cardenden, Carmarthenshire, Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge and Western Edge. 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 KInghorn Fife
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 008 Mid Suffolk
2 Cardenden Fife
3 Carmarthenshire 005 Carmarthenshire
4 Buckhaven, Denbeath and Muiredge Fife
5 Western Edge Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moyes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moyes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moyes, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Moyes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Moyes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Moyes is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Moyes is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Moyes

The surname Moyes is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "mowe," which means "meadow" or "hayfield." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or hayfield.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Moyes can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of official documents recording the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This indicates that the name was already well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The Moyes surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Moyness in Angus and Moyes in Aberdeenshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

A notable figure in Scottish history bearing the Moyes surname was Sir Adam Moyes (c. 1570-1648), a lawyer and landowner who served as a Lord of Session in the Scottish Court of Session. He was also involved in the commission tasked with revising the laws of Scotland in the early 17th century.

Another individual with the surname Moyes was Henry Moyes (1711-1807), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1789. He was known for his support of the Moderate Party within the Church of Scotland.

In the 19th century, Robert Moyes (1811-1887) was a Scottish chemist and entrepreneur who founded the successful soap manufacturing company, R. Moyes & Co., in Leith, Scotland. His company played a significant role in the development of the soap industry in the region.

Moving forward in time, James Moyes (1881-1945) was a Scottish football player and manager who played for and later managed the Scottish club, Rangers F.C. He was part of the successful Rangers team that won multiple Scottish league titles and cup competitions in the early 20th century.

One of the more recent notable figures with the Moyes surname was David Moyes (born 1963), a Scottish professional football player and manager. He had a successful playing career with various clubs, including Celtic F.C., and later went on to manage several Premier League clubs, including Everton F.C. and Manchester United F.C.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moyes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moyes 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. Fife leads with 398 Moyes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.64x.

County Total Index
Fife 398 53.64x
Middlesex 114 0.91x
Lanarkshire 92 2.27x
Suffolk 85 5.57x
Midlothian 69 4.11x
Surrey 52 0.85x
Kent 51 1.19x
Norfolk 48 2.49x
Angus 46 3.96x
Devon 32 1.23x
Yorkshire 32 0.26x
Perthshire 29 5.15x
Renfrewshire 26 2.68x
Lancashire 21 0.14x
Cornwall 19 1.34x
Northumberland 16 0.86x
Kinross-shire 15 47.33x
Cambridgeshire 14 1.76x
Stirlingshire 14 3.03x
Hertfordshire 13 1.50x
West Lothian 12 6.36x
Durham 9 0.24x
Glamorgan 8 0.37x
Hampshire 7 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.41x
Roxburghshire 7 3.08x
Clackmannanshire 6 5.80x
Nairnshire 6 15.68x
Sussex 6 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.66x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.34x
Denbighshire 4 0.84x
East Lothian 3 1.81x
Essex 3 0.12x
Caithness 2 1.17x
Warwickshire 2 0.06x
Ayrshire 1 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 0.67x
Somerset 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunfermline in Fife leads with 88 Moyes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 77.13x.

Place Total Index
Dunfermline 88 77.13x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 48 7.10x
Barony 35 3.41x
Dundee 33 7.61x
Kettle 32 359.15x
Kinghorn 29 184.13x
Auchtertool 28 912.05x
Kensington London 28 4.02x
Abbotshall 25 90.16x
Govan 25 2.49x
Inverkeithing 21 187.84x
Dysart 19 38.02x
Burntisland 17 81.93x
Collessie 17 199.06x
Lambeth 16 1.46x
Scoonie 15 93.34x
Stalham 14 379.40x
Chelsea London 13 3.44x
Ipswich St Margaret 13 25.09x
Kirkcaldy 12 32.61x
St Ninians 12 26.18x
Landulph 11 506.91x
Perth East Church 11 20.74x
Plumstead 11 7.72x
Auchterderran 10 53.59x
Brettenham 10 735.29x
Hackney London 10 1.42x
Markinch 10 39.70x
Rutherglen 10 16.82x
Whitechapel London 10 8.09x
Beath 9 38.38x
Camberwell 9 1.12x
East Stonehouse 9 17.51x
Hemel Hempstead 9 23.12x
Saline 9 218.98x
South Leith 9 4.76x
Walsoken 9 77.65x
Bolton In Bradford 8 100.50x
Fulham London 8 4.40x
Harleston 8 2424.24x
Inchinnan 8 365.30x
Keighley 8 6.04x
Liff Benvie 8 4.54x
Menheniot 8 135.82x
Perth West Church 8 29.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 3.98x
Rotherhithe 8 5.17x
St Andrewthe Great 8 77.97x
St Marylebone London 8 1.20x
Stone In Dartford 8 72.93x
Stonehouse East 8 60.42x
Aberdour 7 93.71x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 6.25x
Canterbury St Mary 7 24.39x
Cupar 7 21.69x
Edinburgh Greenside 7 31.55x
Ferry Port On Craig 7 57.33x
Forgan 7 49.23x
Fossoway 7 128.44x
Milton In Milton 7 38.50x
Orwell 7 80.09x
Otley 7 256.41x
Abbey 6 4.05x
Cambusnethan 6 6.66x
Cawdor 6 128.76x
Haughley 6 157.48x
Hawick 6 11.81x
Leeds 6 0.86x
Portsea 6 1.19x
Queensferry 6 130.15x
Snenton 6 9.04x
St Benedict Cambridge 6 133.93x
Trimley St Martin 6 229.01x
Woolverstone 6 576.92x
Aberdare 5 3.34x
Auchterarder 5 31.85x
Falkland 5 42.84x
Kelsale 5 117.92x
Limehouse London 5 3.63x
Norwich St Clement 5 22.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 36
James 26
George 20
Robert 15
Thomas 9
Andrew 8
Henry 8
Alfred 7
Charles 7
Arthur 6
Albert 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Alexander 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Walter 3
Archibald 2
Edward 2
Geo. 2
Jas. 2
Nicholas 2
Philip 2
Archie 1
Christian 1
Christopher 1
Claudius 1
David 1
Denis 1
Edwin 1
Ellen 1
Elliss 1
Frank 1
G.Frank 1
Gideon 1
Harold 1
Jas.H. 1
Jas.O. 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Laurie 1
Lemon 1
Lewes 1
Lewis 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Moyes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moyes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,286 people were recorded with the Moyes surname. That placed it at #3,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moyes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,640 in 2016. That gives Moyes a modern rank of #3,798.

What does the Moyes surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Moyes in Normandy.

What does the Moyes map show?

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