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

Moulton, 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 Moulton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moulton in America

Moulton is the 2963rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moulton surname appeared 12,104 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Moulton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moulton 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 Moulton

The surname Moulton has its origins in England, specifically in the medieval period. It is a habitational name, derived from the place name Moulton, which is found in various locations across the country, including Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was written as "Molestone" and "Mouueltone." These early forms suggest that the name may have originated from the Old English words "mul" (a sandy hill) and "tun" (an enclosure or settlement), indicating that the initial bearers of the name likely resided near a sandy hill or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Moulton was Sir Thomas Moulton, a prominent English judge who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King Edward II and played a significant role in the legal proceedings against the Knights Templar.

In the 15th century, Sir John Moulton was a notable figure who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1453. He was a wealthy merchant and played an influential role in the city's governance during a turbulent period of English history.

During the 16th century, Thomas Moulton (1542-1597) gained recognition as a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament. He was a staunch supporter of the Protestant Reformation and served as a legal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name Moulton was associated with several notable individuals, including Richard Moulton (1608-1688), who was a prominent Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Newbury, Massachusetts, in the early days of the American colonies.

Another notable figure was Thomas Moulton (1629-1696), an English-born American soldier and landowner who played a crucial role in the defense of New England against Native American attacks during King Philip's War in the late 17th century.

As the name spread across England and later to the American colonies, various place names and locations were derived from it, such as Moulton, Northamptonshire; Moulton, Lincolnshire; and Moulton, Cheshire, further reinforcing the surname's connection to specific geographic areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moulton

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

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

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

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