Moss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Moss

What does the name Moss mean?

Moss is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived near a peat bog. The name comes from the Old English word mos, which denoted a peat bog. The name may have been taken on as a hereditary surname by someone who lived near a peat bog. However, there are also place names that have come from this word, and the surname may have come from a pre-existing name for a town, village, or parish. Other instances of this surname may also have evolved from the personal name, Moses; and there was also an Ashkenazic Jewish name of uncertain origins that has evolved into Moss. Alternatively, the name could have an ancient Norman surname derived from "Godefridus de la Mosce, Normandy, [who] held a fief from Philip Augustus of the honour or Malherbe." 1

Early Origins of the Moss family

The surname Moss was first found in Lancashire at Chat Moss, a large area of peat bog near the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester. 2

Alternatively, the name could have derived from Moss, a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire. One of the earliest records of the name was Ailmerus filius Mosse or Almer Mosse who was listed in Norfolk 1153-1168. 3

Later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Henry Mosse, as holding lands in Lincolnshire at that time. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Robertus de Mos and Johannes del Mosse. 4

At about the same time, further north in Scotland, Gregory de Moss was tenant of the Earl of Douglas in Louchurde, 1376. 5

Early History of the Moss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moss research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1286, 1327, 1405, 1567, 1608, 1628, 1641, 1662, 1666 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Moss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moss Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Moss family name include Moss, Mos, Mosse and others.

Early Notables of the Moss family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard Moss...
Richard Moss was still living in 1628 when, as a convicted recusant, he paid double to the subsidy...
27) Two families of the name appear on the recusant roll of 1641— Henry Moss and Elizabeth his wife, and Joan wife of Richard Moss...
28) The hearth-tax list of 1666 shows that Richard Moss, a dyer, lived here, his dwelling having three hearths...

Moss World Ranking

In the United Kingdom, the name Moss is the 222^nd most popular surname with an estimated 26,098 people with that name. 6 However, in Australia, the name Moss is ranked the 400^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,261 people with that name. 7 And in New Zealand, the name Moss is the 506^th popular surname with an estimated 1,359 people with that name. 8 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Moss as 191^st with 216 people. 9 The United States ranks Moss as 353^rd with 77,097 people. 10

Migration of the Moss family to Ireland

Some of the Moss family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moss migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Moss Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Moss, (b. 1784), aged 19, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1807 11
Mr. William Moss, British Convict who was convicted in Yorkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. William Moss, (b. 1810), aged 18, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Thomas Moss, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 14
Priscilla Moss, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "America" on December 30, 1830, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moss migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Moss Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jessie Moss, (b. 1858), aged Infant, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 16
Mr. John Moss, (b. 1831), aged 27, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 16
Mrs. Emma Moss, (b. 1833), aged 25, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 16
Mr. John Moss, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 16
Mr. Moss, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moss migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moss Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Robert Moss, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
John Moss, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
John Moss, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Amos Moss U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 17
Mr. John Moss U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 he served in Butlers Ranger 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moss Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Moss, aged 23 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 18

Moss migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moss Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Moss who settled in Virginia in 1635
Joe and Jane Moss, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Jo Moss, aged 21, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 19
Mr. Richard Moss, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 20
Jane Moss, who landed in Virginia in 1642 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moss Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anne Moss, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 19
Hanah Moss, who landed in Virginia in 1702 19
Robert Moss, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 19
William Moss, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 19
Margaret Moss, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anna Moss, aged 35, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 19
Bryan Moss, who arrived in America in 1806 19
Charles Moss, who landed in America in 1806 19
Rose Moss, who landed in America in 1806 19
Charles Moss, who landed in Maryland in 1831 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Moss (post 1700) +

Kate Moss (b. 1974), English fashion model, second on the Forbes top-earning models list in 2012
Alan Edward Moss (b. 1930), English cricketer
Patricia Buckley Moss (1933-2024), American artist, born on Staten Island in New York City
Stanley Moss (1925-2024), American poet, publisher, and art dealer
Jerome S. "Jerry" Moss (1935-2023), American recording executive, co-founder of A&M Records with Herb Alpert, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006
Joseph Charles "Joe" Moss (1930-2023), American football player and head coach for the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League (CFL)
Brent Moss (1972-2022), American professional football running back in the National Football League (1995-2001)
Virginia Ann Marie Patton Moss (1925-2022), American actress from Cleveland, Ohio, perhaps best remembered for her role as Ruth Dakin Bailey (Harry Bailey's wife) in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Joseph Neil "Joey" Moss (1963-2020), born with Down syndrome, Canadian dressing room attendant for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League and the Edmonton Eskimos
Harold Moss (1929-2020), American politician and businessman, 34th mayor of Tacoma, Washington, first African American member of the city's council
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Moss family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Moss, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21

RMS Lusitania

Mr. John Barrow Moss, English Second Waiter from Crosby, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 22

RMS Titanic

Mr. William Moss (d. 1912), aged 34, English 1st Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 23
Mr. Albert Johan Moss, aged 29, Norwegian Third Class passenger from Bergen who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking in collapsible B 23

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Charles Moss (b. 1893), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 24

USS Arizona

Mr. Tommy Lee Moss, American Mess Attendant Second Class from Kentucky, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 25

Vimy Ridge

William Slyvanus Moss (1881-1917), Canadian plumber, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge June 1917

The Moss Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: En la rose je fleurie
Motto Translation: I flourish in the rose.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1830 with 135 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1830
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 48)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html