Find out how popular the last name Moberly is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Moberly.

Moberly, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Moberly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moberly in America

Moberly is the 13893rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moberly surname appeared 2,173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Moberly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moberly to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Moberly

The surname Moberly originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Mobberley in Cheshire. The name itself is derived from the Old English words "moere", meaning "marsh" or "lake", and "leah", meaning "clearing" or "meadow", suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived near a marshy clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cheshire from 1273, where it appears as "de Mobberleye". This indicates that the name was initially used as a locational descriptor by those who resided in or near the village of Mobberley.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various legal records and documents. For instance, a John de Moburleye is mentioned in the Cheshire Plea Rolls of 1348, while a William de Mobberley is recorded in the Cheshire Chamberlain's Accounts from 1392.

The name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Edward Moberly (c.1530-1575), a member of the English gentry from Cheshire who served as a justice of the peace during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was George Paulet Moberly (1835-1905), an English clergyman and headmaster of Winchester College from 1868 to 1892. He played a significant role in reforming the education system at the college and was widely respected for his leadership and academic contributions.

In the realm of literature, Walter Moberly (1832-1915) was a notable author and educator. He served as the headmaster of St. Peter's College in Radley, Oxfordshire, and published several works on education and religion.

The name has also been associated with military service. Major General Walter Joscelyne Moberly (1881-1973) was a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery and leadership.

Lastly, Ethel Moberly (1846-1919) and Eleanor Jourdain (1863-1924) were two British academics and authors who gained recognition for their work on the paranormal. Their book "An Adventure", published in 1911, recounted a purported time-slip experience they claimed to have had while visiting the Petit Trianon in Versailles, France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moberly

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Moberly.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Moberly was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Moberly has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Moberly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Moberly, please contact us.

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