Contents [hide]

Moffat History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Moffat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Moffat. The Moffat family lived in the place called Moffatt, in Scotland. The place-name is derived from the Gaelic words magh and fada, which mean field and long. Hence, the surname Moffat means, from the long field.

Early Origins of the Moffat family

The surname Moffat was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, at Annandale where the first on record was Nicholas de Mufet who began his life as a simple cleric and was first recorded as witness to a charter by Walter, bishop of Glasgow, some time before 1232. Approximately twenty years later, in 1250, he was made Archdeacon of Theuidale and eventually, in 1268, he was made Bishop of Glasgow. After only two years of holding the position of bishop, he died, in the year 1270. 1

Early History of the Moffat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moffat research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1348, 1467, 1553, 1604, 1795, 1815, 1870, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Moffat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moffat Spelling Variations

The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. Moffat has appeared as Moffatt, Maffat, Maffett, Maffet, Moffat, Moffet, Moffett, Moffert, Moffertt, Moffit, Moffitt, Merphet, Merphett, Merfet, Merfett, Murphat, Murphatt, Murphet, Murphett, Muffat, Muffatt, Muffett, Muffet, Muffit and many more.

Early Notables of the Moffat family

More information is included under the topic Early Moffat Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moffat World Ranking

In the United States, the name Moffat is the 12,371^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in New Zealand, the name Moffat is ranked the 765^th most popular surname with an estimated 957 people with that name. 3 And in the United Kingdom, the name Moffat is the 1,000^th popular surname with an estimated 6,930 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Moffat family to Ireland

Some of the Moffat family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moffat migration to the United States +

As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Moffat Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jean Moffat who settled in New Jersey in 1685
Jean Moffat, who landed in Connecticut in 1688 5

Moffat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Spencer Moffat, who arrived in America in 1802 5
William Moffat, aged 40, who landed in Tennessee in 1812 5
Henry Moffat, aged 55, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 5
Patrick Moffat, aged 30, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 5
Richard Moffat, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moffat migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moffat Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Michael Moffat, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Betsy Moffat, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland

Moffat migration to Australia +

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

Moffat Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Moffat, aged 24, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Fortune" 6

Moffat 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:

Moffat Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W. Moffat, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 7
Mrs. Moffat, Scottish settler with 2 sons and 2 daughters travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Three Bells" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 13th July 1858 7
Mr. John Moffat, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd September 1860 7
Mr. John Moffat, Scottish settler from Penicuik travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 7
Mrs. Mary Moffat, (b. 1820), aged 42, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Moffat (post 1700) +

Jay Pierrepont Moffat (1896-1943), American diplomat
David Halliday Moffat (1839-1911), American financier and industrialist
Nancy Moffat, American politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 98th District, 2000, 2008 9
Jay Pierrepont Moffat (b. 1932), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Chad, 1983-85 9
Jay Pierrepont Moffat (1896-1943), American politician, U.S. Minister to Canada, 1940-43, died in office 1943; Luxembourg, 1941-43 9
Hugh Moffat, American politician, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan, 1872-75 9
Douglas Maxwell Moffat (1881-1956), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Australia, 1956 9
David W. Moffat, American politician, Justice of Utah State Supreme Court, 1933-44; Chief Justice of Utah State Supreme Court, 1939-43 9
David H. Moffat Jr., American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Orange County 2nd District, 1849 9
D. Howe Moffat, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Utah, 1940, 1952 9
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Moffat family +

Halifax Explosion

Master Alexander William Moffat (1917-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 10

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Curran Moffat, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 11

HMS Repulse

Mr. Alan Moffat (b. 1919), British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 12

HMS Royal Oak

James Beck Moffat (d. 1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 13

SS Atlantic

Mr. Thomas Moffat, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

Citations +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
South Australian Register Thursday 8th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Fortune 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/fortune1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html