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

Moffitt, 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 Moffitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moffitt in America

Moffitt is the 3543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moffitt surname appeared 10,070 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Moffitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moffitt 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 Moffitt

The surname Moffitt is of Scottish origin and is believed to have derived from a locational name referring to the lands of Moffat, a town located in the historic county of Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The name Moffat itself is thought to come from the Old Gaelic word "mam" meaning "rounded hill" and the Old English word "fat" meaning "a homestead or settlement."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording acts of fealty to Edward I of England in the late 13th century. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Moffet" and is associated with individuals from the Scottish Borders region.

During the Middle Ages, the Moffitt family held lands in the parish of Moffat and played a significant role in the local community. Records from the 15th and 16th centuries mention several individuals bearing the Moffitt surname, such as John Moffitt, who was granted a charter for lands in Moffatdale in 1452, and Robert Moffitt, a notable landowner in the same area in the late 16th century.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Moffitt was Sir Adam Moffitt, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Moffitt, a Scottish diplomat and ambassador who served under King James IV in the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the Moffitt family gained prominence in the literary world with the poet and writer, William Moffitt (1623-1687), who was born in Dumfriesshire and is known for his collection of poems titled "The Moffitt Miscellany."

As the Moffitt family spread across Scotland and beyond, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Moffat, Moffett, Moffat, and Moffett. One notable individual with this surname was James Moffett (1789-1870), a Scottish-American industrialist who established the Moffett & Company, a successful shipping and trading firm in New York City.

Throughout history, the Moffitt surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military personnel, poets, and businessmen. While the name has its roots in the Scottish Borders, it has since spread across the globe, with Moffitt families residing in various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moffitt

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

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

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

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