The Moulton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,104 people carried this name — #2,963 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 11,580 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Moulton surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Moulton» (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: ‘of Moulton’.

An early record he cites: Agnes de Multon, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 543 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

159 families named Moulton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 885 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 57
Maine 36
Massachusetts 32
Connecticut 15
Vermont 10
Maryland 4
Rhode Island 2
South Carolina 2
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 254 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Moulton in American newspapers,
1874–1905.

Newspaper page from Perrysburg Journal carrying the name Moulton
Perrysburg Journal 1874-08-28
Newspaper page from Pierre Weekly Free Press carrying the name Moulton
Pierre Weekly Free Press 1892-11-10
Newspaper page from The Aberdeen Democrat carrying the name Moulton
The Aberdeen Democrat 1905-05-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 228,760 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Moulton in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2010s.

13,917 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Moulton. The most, 2,232, date from the 1880s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,247
Western Australia 3,366
Victoria 2,530
Queensland 1,368
South Australia 1,124
Tasmania 234
ACT (Canberra) 21
Northern Territory 3

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

Who carried it

People named Moulton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Mace Moulton
    Mace Moulton 1796–1867 · politician
  • Mary Moulton d. 1686
  • Robert Moulton 1591–1652 · naval officer
  • Jonathan Moulton 1726–1787 · military leader
  • Charles Moulton 1754–1834
  • Jane Moulton 1757–1815

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 Moulton,
in the records of 7 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 States1,058 records

1,058 records of the Moulton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 408
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 199
  • Other U.S. records 451
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Aubrey C. Moulton

    Born 1921 in California. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles; aircraft mechanic. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II and the Korean War; died 2001, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Lewis Clark Moulton

    Born 1930; from Payette County, Idaho. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Moulton

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Spain from Liverpool, aged 38; miner. From Chester, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,058 records for Moulton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · 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); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia268 records

268 records of the Moulton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 134
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 61
  • Other Australian records 73
  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 William Moulton

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Bengal Merchant, sailing from Plymouth in 1828. Native of Waterford.

    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 Elizth Moulton

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Derry Castle, aged 14; 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 Ralph Ernest Moulton

    Company director of Black Rock, Victoria; died 1992.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 268 records for Moulton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

Canada192 records

192 records of the Moulton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 146
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 20
  • Other Canadian records 26
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Annie Moulton

    Buried in 1960 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 57.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Austin Moulton

    Died 1933 in New Glasgow, Pictou, Nova Scotia.

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

    Died in service in 1921.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 192 records for Moulton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Moulton name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 3
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alice Maud Moulton

    Will proved in 1935; of Abergele, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Moulton

    Buried in 1815 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 46.

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

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Moulton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · 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: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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 Zealand2 records

2 records of the Moulton 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 Robert Maurice Moulton

    Died 1936, aged 33; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Moulton 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).

France2 records

2 records of the Moulton 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 Germaine Moulton

    Born 1893 in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (Yvelines); died 1986 in Limeil-Brévannes (Val-de-Marne).

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

    Born 1911 in Paris; died 1995 in the United Kingdom.

    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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Moulton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christoffel Moulton

    Buried in 1760 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Arthur Jan Moulton

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1895 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Moulton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Moulton 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.

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