Origins of the Moore surname

What does the name Moore mean?

The Moore surname has a number of hypothesised points of origin, and is popular throughout the English-speaking world. The most common believed source is in England, from the Middle English 'mor', which means a heath, or bog (sometimes referring to open land, and the modern usage of the word moor) and would be given to someone living at or on one of these geographic features. In Ireland, the surname Moore can derive from an anglicisation of the Gaelic 'mordha', which is given to someone who is noble or stately. More rarely, the name Moore could be given to an Isle of Man collector of manorial rent (a moar), or as a descriptive for someone of dark complexion (a moor).

Alternative variations of the name Moore

Moore, More, Moor, Moir, Moores

Start free trial
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Moores.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Moore family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 3879North West 2468Isle of Man 765Yorkshire 7316East Midlands 2802West Midlands 3629East 3490London 12639South East 5906South West 2127South Wales 863Mid Wales 88West Wales 38North Wales 180Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Moores lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Moore

How common is your surname?

37th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Moore surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Moores most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Moores.

What are the most common Moore first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Moore family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Moores

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Moores in 1921

Dressmaker

2,866

Laundress

1,589

Domestic Servant

1,480

General Servant Domestic

1,353

Living On Own Means

1,170

Common male occupations for Moores in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

2,522

General Labourer

2,253

Coal Miner

2,045

Farm Hands

1,874

Farmer

1,634

We found over 1,400,000 family trees with the Moore surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Moores.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Moore family members

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search