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

Mosely, 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 Mosely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mosely in America

Mosely is the 9506th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mosely surname appeared 3,419 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 Mosely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mosely 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 Mosely

The surname Mosely has its origins in England, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "mos" and "leah," meaning "moss" and "meadow" or "clearing," respectively. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a mossy meadow or clearing.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the early 13th century, appearing in various forms such as "de Moseleye" and "atte Moselye." These variations reflect the common practice of adding locational suffixes to distinguish individuals from specific areas.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records documenting landowners and their holdings. The entry "John de Museleye" is listed as residing in Staffordshire.

During the 14th century, the name was also documented in the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which recorded taxpayers across England. This record includes individuals such as "Thomas de Moseleye" and "John Moselye," both from Worcestershire.

Over the centuries, the surname has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Sir Nicholas Mosely (c. 1320-1388), a prominent landowner and member of Parliament from Staffordshire. Another was Sir Oswald Mosely (1588-1665), an English politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

In later years, the name gained further prominence with individuals like Sir Oswald Mosley (1896-1980), a British politician and founder of the British Union of Fascists. Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Walter Michael Mosely (1925-2010), an American writer and philosopher known for his works on Afrofuturism.

The Mosely surname has also been associated with various locations across England, such as Moseley in Staffordshire, Moseley in Worcestershire, and Moseley in the West Midlands. These place names likely contributed to the development and spread of the surname over time.

While the exact origins of the Mosely surname may be difficult to pinpoint, its history is deeply rooted in the medieval English landscape and the lives of those who once called the mossy meadows and clearings of England their home.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mosely

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

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

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

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