The Mote surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,313 people carried this name — #7,697 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 68,500 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,161 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mote surname

From the French and English surname, spelling variant of Motte, from the noun motte (“stronghold”); also a variant of Mott.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Mote» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the moat’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Elena Mott, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Mott, Motte, Mote and Moth.

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

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 33 people named Mote.

2 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 12 départements, most often Charente-Maritime.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 2
Charente-Maritime 9
Seine-et-Marne 6
Maine-et-Loire 3
Haute-Marne 3
Seine-Maritime 2
Côte-d’Or 2
Orne 1
Sarthe 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In print

Mote in American newspapers,
1914.

Newspaper page from The Richmond Palladium And Sun-telegram carrying the name Mote
The Richmond Palladium And Sun-telegram 1914-02-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Mote in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

5,661 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mote. The most, 1,472, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,139
Victoria 541
Queensland 455
South Australia 252
Western Australia 107
Tasmania 86
ACT (Canberra) 56
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Mote,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Kelly Mote
    Kelly Mote 1923–2015 · American football player
  • Edward Mote 1797–1874 · pastor
  • Edward Mote 1797–1874 · pastor
  • William Henry Mote 1803–1871 · etcher
  • Marcus Mote 1817–1898 · painter
  • Carl Henry Mote 1884–1946 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mote,
in the records of 8 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 States262 records

262 records of the Mote name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 159
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 61
  • Other U.S. records 42
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ernest T. Mote

    Born 1924 in Georgia. Enlisted 1943 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; machinist. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1992, buried at Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery, Lula, Georgia.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Patricia from Dover, aged 37; farm laborer. From Narstra, Hungary.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Terry Alan Mote

    Born 1946; from Rockville, Maryland. U.S. Army, air observation pilot; died in an accident 1970 in Pleiku, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 262 records for Mote 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia49 records

49 records of the Mote name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 41
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 3
  • Other Australian records 5
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Richard Mote

    Arrived in Queensland in 1874 aboard the Royal Dane, aged 35.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Benjamin Mote

    Left Hobart in 1826 aboard the Fairfield, bound for Port Jackson, as a seaman.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Marianne Mote

    Of Glen Iris, Victoria; died 1981.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 49 records for Mote in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

France17 records

17 records of the Mote 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 Laurine Marie Louise Mote

    Born 1904 in Vicq (Haute-Marne); died 1971 in Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jacques Raymond Mote

    Born 1931 in Royan; died 1991 in Saintes (Charente-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Albert Emile Evode Mote

    Born 1894 in Avesnes-en-Val; died 1974 in Envermeu (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Mote in France.

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).

Netherlands11 records

11 records of the Mote name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 8
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Adriessen Mote

    Married in 1627 in Vlissingen; boatman.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Abraham Mote

    Baptised in 1728 in Breda.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Louijsa Cornelia Mote

    Buried in 1696 in Delft.

    Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Mote in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand5 records

5 records of the Mote name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ernest Rodwell Mote

    Died 1955, aged 75; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eric Wilson Mote

    Died 1936, aged 51; 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 Annie Elizabeth Mote

    Died 1968, aged 86; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Mote in New Zealand.

Counts: 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).

Canada3 records

3 records of the Mote name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Mote

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Hy Mote

    Listed at Truro Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1838.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 2 of 3 records for Mote in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Norway2 records

2 records of the Mote name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Sjul Møte

    Census of 1910: Møte (gaard), Flesberg; farmer, born 1853 in Flesberg.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Ole Møte

    Census of 1910: Graaten, Flesberg; forestry worker, born 1854 in Flesberg.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Mote name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marie Mote

    Died 1942 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mote.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mote 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 Mote volume
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