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Motson Family History

Motson Surname Meaning

From the Middle English female personal name Modde or *Motte + son. Modde is known in one instance to be a pet form of Old French Modeste: Thomas son of Modde de Lynley (1307) is also called Thomas son of Modesta de Lynley (1308) in Wakefield Court Rolls 2 pp. 69 139.

However, Modeste is extremely rare in English medieval records. In most cases, Modson and Motson are either reduced forms of Middle English Moldeson or Molteson ‘son of Maud’ (see Moulson).

These forms were independently coined from Middle English *Modde and *Motte as pet forms of Mold and Molt (i.e. Maud see Mould).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Motson family from?

You can see how Motson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Motson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Motson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 17 Motson families living in Lincolnshire. This was about 43% of all the recorded Motson's in United Kingdom. Lincolnshire had the highest population of Motson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Motson 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 Motson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farm Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Motson. 43% of Motson men worked as a Farm Labourer and 100% of Motson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Motson | 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

  • Farm Labourer
    43%
  • Farmer
    29%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Motson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Motson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Motson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Motson

Passenger Lists

There are 181 immigration records available for the last name Motson. 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.

View all Motson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 110 military records available for the last name Motson. For the veterans among your Motson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Motson military records

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What is the average Motson lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Motson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Motson in 1958 was 54, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Motson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Motson 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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