Explore the Family Name Moss
The meaning of Moss
1. English: topographic name from Middle English mos ‘moss, bog’ (Old English mos), for someone who lived at a boggy place, or a habitational name from one or other of the many places so called, such as Moss (Yorkshire), Mose in Quatford (Shropshire), and Moze (Essex). 2. English: variant of Moyse. 3. Irish (Ulster): adoption of the English name 1 by translation for Ó Maolmóna or Ó Maolmhóna ‘descendant of Maolmóna’, a personal name based on maol ‘servant, tonsured one, i.e. devotee’ + a second element assumed to be móin (genitive móna) ‘moorland, peat bog’, in local English ‘moss’. 4. German: unexplained. 5. Americanized form of Moses or some other similar (like-sounding) Jewish surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Moss in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Moss saw a slight drop in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 389th in popularity, but by 2010, it had dropped to rank 423, marking an 8.74% decrease. However, the number of individuals carrying the surname Moss actually increased during this period. In 2000, there were approximately 73,750 individuals with this surname, and by 2010, that figure grew to 76,908, indicating a 4.28% rise. The proportion of individuals named Moss per 100,000 people also slightly decreased by 4.65%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #389 | #423 | -8.74% |
| Count | 73,750 | 76,908 | 4.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 27.34 | 26.07 | -4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Moss
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Moss also shifted between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by data from the Decennial U.S. Census. White individuals made up the majority of those with the surname Moss, although their representation marginally decreased from 71.87% in 2000 to 69.73% in 2010. Black individuals constituted the second-largest group at 24.11% in 2000, and this percentage slightly increased to 24.71% in 2010. There was significant growth in the representation of individuals identifying as Hispanic (from 1.46% to 2.28%), and those identifying as two or more races (from 1.48% to 2.12%). Conversely, the percentages of Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives with the surname Moss saw minor changes over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.87% | 69.73% | -2.98% |
| Black | 24.11% | 24.71% | 2.49% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.28% | 56.16% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 2.12% | 43.24% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.68% | -4.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.48% | 29.73% |
Moss ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Moss is British & Irish, which comprises 47.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.3%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 47.4% |
| French & German | 19.3% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.0% |
| Other | 24.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Moss
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Moss have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
What Moss haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Moss is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z346 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brown, Miller, Smith, Young, Green, Gardner, Brooks, Johnson, Harris, Fox.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Moss surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Moss have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Moss" Surname 37.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Moss" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Moss" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Moss" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Moss?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Moss are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition