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

Moseley, 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 Moseley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moseley in America

Moseley is the 2112th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moseley surname appeared 17,130 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Moseley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moseley 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 Moseley

The surname Moseley has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Moseley, which is found in several counties across the country, including Worcestershire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire. The name is believed to stem from the Old English words "mos" meaning "moss" and "leah" meaning "a meadow or clearing," suggesting that the name originated from a moss-covered meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Museleie" in Worcestershire. This entry suggests that the name was already established in the region during the Norman Conquest. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Moseley.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Thomas de Moseley, a landowner in Staffordshire who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. Another early record is that of William de Moseley, a freeman of York in 1301, highlighting the name's presence in different parts of England.

During the 16th century, the Moseley family gained prominence in Lancashire, where they held the manor of Ancoats. Sir Oswald Moseley (1505-1572) was a respected member of this family and served as a Member of Parliament for Preston during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Sir Nicholas Moseley (1615-1672), born in Staffordshire, was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II. His son, Sir Edward Moseley (1650-1713), also followed in his footsteps and became a notable jurist.

Another noteworthy figure was Benjamin Moseley (1742-1819), an English surgeon and author who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. His works, such as "A Treatise on Tropical Diseases" and "A Treatise on Hydrophobia," were highly influential in their time.

In the 19th century, Henry Moseley (1801-1872), an English mathematician and engineer, gained recognition for his work on developing the concept of the least-squares method, which is widely used in statistical analysis today.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Moseley throughout history, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moseley

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

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

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

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