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The ancestors of the bearers of the Mos family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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 Mos. 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 Mos family

The surname Mos 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 Mos family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mos 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 Mos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mos Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Mos include Moss, Mos, Mosse and others.

Early Notables of the Mos 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...

Ireland Migration of the Mos family to Ireland

Some of the Mos 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.

United States Mos migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mos or a variant listed above:

Mos Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bertha Mos, aged 9, who landed in New York in 1854 6
  • Conrad Mos, aged 43, who arrived in New York in 1854 6
  • Joseph Mos, aged 8, who landed in New York in 1854 6
  • Maria Mos, who arrived in New York in 1854 6
  • Victoria Mos, aged 34, who landed in New York in 1854 6
  1. 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)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. 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)
  6. 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)
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