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Moore Family History

Moore Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English more ‘moor marsh fen’ (Old English mōr); hence a topographic name for someone who lived in such a place or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word, such as Moore in Cheshire or More in Shropshire.

English (of Norman origin): ethnic name from Old French more ‘Moor’, either someone from North Africa or, more often, a nickname for someone thought to resemble a Moor. Compare Morrell and Moreau.

English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English personal name More (Old French More, Maur, Latin Maurus), originally denoting either ‘Moor’ or someone with a swarthy complexion (compare Morrell, Morrin, Morris, and sense 2 above). There was a 6th-century Christian saint of this name.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Mórdha ‘descendant of Mórdha’, a byname meaning ‘great, proud’, or ‘stately’.

Scottish: variant of Muir. Welsh: nickname from mawr ‘big, great’, either describing a man's size or greatness (perhaps applied ironically) or as a means of distinguishing two men with the same name. Americanized form of Slovenian Mur.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Moore family from?

You can see how Moore families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Moore family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Moore families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 9,524 Moore families living in London. This was about 15% of all the recorded Moore's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Moore families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Moore surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Moore ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Moore. 6% of Moore men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Moore women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Moore were Bricklayer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Moore | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Bricklayer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Moore family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Moore. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Moore census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Moore

Passenger Lists

There are 426,000 immigration records available for the last name Moore. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 739,000 military records available for the last name Moore. For the veterans among your Moore ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Moore family history

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What is the average Moore lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Moore life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Moore in 1940 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Moore

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Moore ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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