NameCensus.

UK surname

Moyse

A surname derived from the ancient name Moses, likely originating from a Jewish ancestor.

In the 1881 census there were 661 people recorded with the Moyse surname, ranking it #5,434 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 962, ranked #5,978, down from #5,434 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Battersea and St Gennys. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, Waveney and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moyse is 1,031 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.5%.

1881 census count

661

Ranked #5,434

Modern count

962

2016, ranked #5,978

Peak year

2002

1,031 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moyse had 661 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,434 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 962 in 2016, ranked #5,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 850 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Moyse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moyse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moyse 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 481 #5,186
1861 historical 407 #6,306
1881 historical 661 #5,434
1891 historical 633 #6,110
1901 historical 850 #5,362
1911 historical 849 #5,229
1997 modern 977 #5,606
1998 modern 1,013 #5,620
1999 modern 1,015 #5,649
2000 modern 1,006 #5,663
2001 modern 991 #5,615
2002 modern 1,031 #5,560
2003 modern 991 #5,635
2004 modern 970 #5,742
2005 modern 961 #5,729
2006 modern 938 #5,852
2007 modern 941 #5,892
2008 modern 947 #5,893
2009 modern 975 #5,881
2010 modern 1,013 #5,828
2011 modern 982 #5,904
2012 modern 964 #5,906
2013 modern 988 #5,882
2014 modern 992 #5,900
2015 modern 974 #5,933
2016 modern 962 #5,978

Geography

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Where Moyses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Battersea, St Gennys and Northill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, Waveney, Cornwall, Newport and West Devon. 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 Battersea London (South Districts)
4 St Gennys Cornwall
5 Northill Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 008 Torridge
2 Waveney 014 Waveney
3 Cornwall 012 Cornwall
4 Newport 003 Newport
5 West Devon 004 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moyse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moyse

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

Moyse is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moyse falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Moyse

The surname MOYSE has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "moise," which means "Moses," and is ultimately rooted in the Hebrew name "Moshe," meaning "drawn from the water." The name likely originated as a nickname or a reference to someone who had been drawn from the water, perhaps in relation to a baptism or a near-drowning incident.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the medieval records of Normandy and other parts of northern France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Moyse, a landowner mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

By the 13th century, the name had spread throughout France and into England, where it took on various spellings such as Moyse, Moyes, and Moize. One notable figure from this period was John Moyse, a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1420 to 1451.

During the Renaissance and Reformation periods, the name continued to appear in both France and England. In France, one notable bearer of the name was Clément Marot (1496-1544), a renowned poet and a key figure in the Renaissance literary movement. In England, Sir Edward Moysé (c. 1591-1659) was a respected lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General under King Charles I.

As the centuries passed, the name spread further afield, carried by migrants and settlers to various parts of the world. In the 18th century, Henry Moyes (1708-1807) was a prominent American merchant and landowner in New York, while in the 19th century, James Moyes (1853-1924) was a notable Australian architect responsible for designing several landmark buildings in Sydney.

Other notable individuals with the surname MOYSE include Alfred Moyse (1885-1957), a French musician and flautist who taught at the Paris Conservatory, and John Moyes (1917-2004), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the popular Moyes Stores chain.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moyse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moyse 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 180 Moyses recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.43x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 180 21.43x
Cornwall 126 16.14x
Devon 108 7.52x
Middlesex 60 0.87x
Channel Islands 41 20.06x
Norfolk 31 2.92x
Surrey 29 0.86x
Berkshire 16 3.09x
Essex 13 0.95x
Lancashire 11 0.13x
Dorset 10 2.21x
Kent 10 0.43x
Selkirkshire 10 16.03x
Yorkshire 10 0.15x
Durham 9 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.83x
Lincolnshire 8 0.73x
Hampshire 6 0.42x
Sussex 4 0.34x
Derbyshire 3 0.28x
Royal Navy 3 3.65x
Somerset 3 0.27x
Wiltshire 3 0.49x
Fife 1 0.24x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.73x
Leicestershire 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 39 Moyses recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.62x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 39 58.62x
St Gennys 28 2413.79x
North Hill 25 1000.00x
Battersea 22 8.67x
Stoke Damerel 20 19.91x
Plymouth St Andrew 14 12.66x
North Cove 12 2181.82x
Stratton 12 283.02x
Bray 10 65.75x
Cretingham 10 1369.86x
Kessingland 10 344.83x
Oldham 10 3.79x
Portland 10 41.08x
Selkirk 10 56.88x
Carlton Colville 9 292.21x
Chelsea London 9 4.33x
Kettleburgh 9 1323.53x
Monk Soham 9 947.37x
North Petherwyn 9 443.35x
St Germans 9 165.14x
Winston 9 1285.71x
Calstock 8 52.25x
Copdock 8 1052.63x
Hemingstone 8 1142.86x
Leyton Low 8 28.91x
Woolpit 8 327.87x
Aldeburgh 7 140.85x
East Stonehouse 7 24.75x
Hackney London 7 1.81x
Hoo 7 1794.87x
Kirkley 7 99.57x
Lowestoft 7 17.64x
Northam 7 66.92x
St Breward 7 406.98x
St Maryle Wigford 7 81.68x
Westminster St John 7 8.33x
Chiswick 6 15.92x
Germansweek 6 952.38x
Great Yarmouth 6 6.83x
Kelly 6 1111.11x
Northlew 6 333.33x
South Lynn 6 50.13x
St George Hanover 6 6.67x
West Teignmouth 6 54.64x
Clewer 5 23.57x
Debenham 5 179.21x
Hipperholme Cum 5 16.65x
Marystow 5 543.48x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 12.48x
Otterham 5 1315.79x
Saltash 5 82.51x
Skelton In Guisbrough 5 27.04x
Tavistock 5 30.58x
Trimley St Mary 5 505.05x
Beccles 4 29.59x
Bedingfield 4 512.82x
Bromley London 4 2.64x
Croydon 4 2.14x
Eye 4 73.66x
Fornham All Sts 4 400.00x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 12.57x
Occold 4 322.58x
St Marythe Great 4 281.69x
St Teath 4 85.11x
Thrushelton 4 396.04x
Tormoham 4 6.59x
Trimley St Martin 4 277.78x
Warbstowe 4 952.38x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 13.37x
Colchester St Giles 3 22.30x
East Wickham 3 107.53x
Forrabury 3 428.57x
Ipswich St Clement 3 14.05x
Medomsley 3 31.35x
Portsea 3 1.08x
Royal Navy 3 4.27x
South Petherwin 3 153.85x
Walmer 3 29.33x
Wells Next Sea 3 48.54x
Wickham Market 3 86.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 40
Elizabeth 28
Emma 21
Sarah 20
Jane 13
Ann 12
Eliza 11
Ellen 11
Florence 10
Maria 9
Ada 6
Alice 6
Susan 6
Anne 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Martha 5
Sophia 5
Grace 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Matilda 4
Rebecca 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Minnie 3
Augusta 2
Bella 2
Bertha 2
Bessie 2
Catherine 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Kitty 2
Lousia 2
Lydia 2
Mahala 2
Margaret 2
Margery 2
Melinda 2
Susannah 2
Whilemima 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 63
John 48
James 26
Henry 21
Charles 18
George 18
Thomas 17
Frederick 13
Robert 11
Samuel 11
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
Joseph 9
Harry 7
David 5
Richard 5
Edward 4
Ernest 3
Chas. 2
Herbert 2
Mark 2
Richd. 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Andre 1
Bargellai 1
Bertram 1
Bertrand 1
Clement 1
Edgar 1
Eml. 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fritz 1
Geo.B. 1
Harold 1
I. 1
Job 1
Josiah 1
Jules 1
Lemon 1
Lionel 1
Louis 1
Meadows 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Reginald 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Moyse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moyse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 661 people were recorded with the Moyse surname. That placed it at #5,434 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moyse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 962 in 2016. That gives Moyse a modern rank of #5,978.

What does the Moyse surname mean?

A surname derived from the ancient name Moses, likely originating from a Jewish ancestor.

What does the Moyse map show?

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