The Mosley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 47,963 people carried this name — #730 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,150 people counted. That is up 7% from 44,698 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mosley surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Mossley’.

An early record he cites: Willelmus de Moslay, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Moseley, Mosley and Mosely.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 542 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Mosley was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Derbyshire: 13 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 769. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Derbyshire 13
Yorkshire, West Riding 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Mosley in American newspapers,
1915–1929.

Newspaper page from Honolulu Star-bulletin carrying the name Mosley
Honolulu Star-bulletin 1915-07-06
Newspaper page from Honolulu Star-bulletin carrying the name Mosley
Honolulu Star-bulletin 1915-07-06
Newspaper page from The Milwaukee Leader carrying the name Mosley
The Milwaukee Leader 1929-03-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 37,261 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Mosley in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

6,247 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mosley. The most, 1,282, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,719
New South Wales 1,754
Queensland 675
Western Australia 429
South Australia 330
Tasmania 274
ACT (Canberra) 38
Northern Territory 14

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mosley.

Who carried it

People named Mosley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edward Mosley d. 1638 · politician
  • Charles Mosley d. 1756 · scientific illustrator
  • Christine Daisy Ord Dowland d. 1963
  • Jane Mosley d. 1686
  • Elizabeth Mosley d. 1828
  • Frances Mosley d. 1855

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mosley,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,211 records

2,211 records of the Mosley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,181
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 585
  • Other U.S. records 445
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Wallace Jerome Mosley

    Born 1947; from St Louis, Missouri. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Kien Hoa, South Vietnam. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Eugene J. Mosley

    Born 1926 in Georgia. Enlisted 1944 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; meat cutter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War; died 2000, buried at Goloid Church Cemetery, Sylvania, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charlotte Mosley

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the Constitution from Liverpool, aged 37; farmer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,211 records for Mosley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia219 records

219 records of the Mosley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 100
  • Tasmanian Names Index 42
  • Other Australian records 77
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Elizabeth Mosley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Elizabeth & Henry, sailing from London in 1848. Native of Northumberland. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Francis Mosley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Tararua, aged 38; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Oscar Tremain Mosley

    Retired carpenter of Richmond, Victoria; died 1963.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 219 records for Mosley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada92 records

92 records of the Mosley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 67
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 11
  • Other Canadian records 14
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Mosley

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Elijah, bound for Port Mattoon, aged 25.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Mosley

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the C of Chester, landing at New York, bound for Orillia, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alene Mosley

    Buried in 1980 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 73.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 92 records for Mosley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom18 records

18 records of the Mosley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 15
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hannah Mosley

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 75.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Mosley

    Seaforth Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Mosley

    Buried in 1820 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 28.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 18 records for Mosley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Mosley name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John George Mosley

    Died 1943, aged 55; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Darker Mosley

    Died 1939, aged 62; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sadie Annie Mosley

    Died 1960, aged 68; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Mosley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Leonard Oswald Mosley

    Born 1913 in the United Kingdom; died 1992 in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marcelle Albertine Louise Mosley

    Born 1924 in Troyes; died 1978 in Barberey-Saint-Sulpice (Aube).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mosley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mosley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Mosley volume
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