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

Moodley, 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 Moodley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moodley in America

Moodley is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moodley surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Moodley.

The history of the last name Moodley

The surname Moodley has its origins in South Africa and traces back to the earliest Indian immigrants who arrived in the region during the British colonial era. It is a Tamil name derived from the word "Mudaliyar," which referred to a prominent village headman or landowner in parts of southern India.

During the 19th century, many Indian laborers, primarily from Tamil Nadu and other parts of southern India, were brought to work on the sugar plantations of Natal, South Africa. The Moodley name was carried by these early immigrants and became firmly established in the Indian diaspora communities of South Africa.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moodley name can be found in the archives of the Natal Indian Immigrant registers, which documented the arrival of Indian indentured laborers from the 1860s onwards. Surnames were often anglicized or adapted during this period, leading to variations in spelling, including Moodliar and Moodlyer.

Over the years, several notable individuals have borne the Moodley surname. One such figure was Srinivasa Moodley (1886-1959), a prominent South African activist and politician who campaigned for the rights of the Indian community during the apartheid era. Another notable figure was Fatima Meer (née Moodley, 1928-2010), a renowned academic, writer, and anti-apartheid activist who played a pivotal role in the struggle for equality and human rights in South Africa.

In the field of sports, Keshav Moodley (1915-1994) was a renowned South African cricketer who represented Natal and played for the South African non-white team during the apartheid era. More recently, Javant Moodley (born 1983) is a South African professional golfer who has achieved success on the Sunshine Tour and European Tour.

The Moodley name has also been associated with literary figures, such as the late South African writer and academic Ronnie Govender (1934-2022), whose works often explored the experiences of the Indian diaspora in South Africa. Another notable figure was Phyllis Naidoo (née Moodley, 1928-2022), a South African author and activist known for her contributions to the anti-apartheid movement and the advancement of women's rights.

While the Moodley surname is predominantly found in South Africa, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and the global Indian diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the early Indian immigrants who shaped the cultural and social fabric of South Africa during the colonial era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moodley

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

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 Moodley 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.

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

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

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