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

Moffat, 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 Moffat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moffat in America

Moffat is the 10257th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moffat surname appeared 3,143 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 Moffat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moffat 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 Moffat

The surname Moffat is of Scottish origin, originating from the small town of Moffat in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The name is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words 'magh' meaning 'a plain or field' and 'fada' meaning 'long', referring to the long stretch of level ground on which the town was built.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moffat can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list people who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry 'William de Moffet' suggests the surname's connection to the town of Moffat.

In the 16th century, the Moffat family played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. John Moffat (c.1510-1590) was a prominent Scottish reformer and minister who served as a chaplain to King James VI of Scotland.

Robert Moffat (1795-1883) was a famous Scottish missionary and translator who spent many years in South Africa, translating the Bible into the Setswana language and establishing mission stations among the Tswana people.

Another notable bearer of the surname was James Moffat (1869-1918), a Scottish theologian and biblical scholar who served as the minister of the United Free Church of Scotland and wrote extensively on the Old Testament.

In the literary world, James Archibald Moffat (1902-1987) was a renowned Scottish poet and playwright, known for his works such as "The Walls of Jericho" and "The Road to Spain".

The surname Moffat has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Moffat Water, a river that runs through the town of Moffat, and Moffat Hills, a range of hills situated near the town.

Throughout history, the surname Moffat has been found in various spellings, including Moffet, Moffett, and Muffet, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moffat

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

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 Moffat 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 Moffat 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 Moffat was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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