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

Moye, 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 Moye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moye in America

Moye is the 4634th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moye surname appeared 7,657 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 Moye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moye 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 Moye

The surname MOYE has its origins in the French language and first appeared in the Normandy region of northern France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the Old French word "moie" which means "wet or damp land", referring to someone who lived near a marshy or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MOYE name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name is listed as "Moye" and appears in reference to landholdings in various counties across southern England.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Moye serving as a knight and landowner in Wiltshire, England. Around this time, variations in spelling such as "Moyie" and "Moije" also began to emerge. By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of Europe, including the Low Countries and Germany, where it was recorded as "Moeye" and "Moyen".

One notable bearer of the MOYE surname was Sir Thomas Moye (c.1490-1560), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He held various positions at court and was granted lands in Kent and Essex.

Another individual of historical significance was Jean Moye (1535-1592), a French painter and draughtsman who worked in the Mannerist style. He is known for his religious paintings and portraits commissioned by the French nobility.

In Scotland, the MOYE name can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Moy or Moye who served as a burgess (municipal officer) in Aberdeen in 1587.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded bearers of the MOYE surname was John Moye, an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the 1640s. His descendants later moved westward and can be found in census records from states such as Kentucky and Tennessee.

Throughout its history, the MOYE surname has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from landed gentry and nobility to artists, merchants, and tradespeople. While not a particularly common name, it has endured for centuries and can still be found among families of diverse backgrounds today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moye

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

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

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

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