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

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Moulton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Moulton is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Moulton family lived in Devon. The name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Meules in Calvados, in the arrondisement of Lisieux in the canton of Orbec, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Moulton family

The surname Moulton was first found in Devon where they were under tenants of Baldwin FitzGilbert, Sheriff of Devon. Typical of the family's early benevolence, the parish of Skirbeck in Lincolnshire was the site of an early hospital.

Interestingly, the first record of the name appears before the Domesday Book of 1086 which is very unique. Ælfgar de Muletune, a Saxon was found in Suffolk c. 975. Later, Thomas de Moleton, de Multon was registered in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1166. 2

"An hospital for ten persons, founded here in honour of St. Leonard, was given in 1230 by Sir Thomas Multon, Knt., to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, who dedicated it anew to St. John the Baptist. In the time of Edward II., its revenue was sufficient for the maintenance of four priests, of twenty people in the infirmary, and for the daily relief of forty more at the gate." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Agnes de Multon in Norfolk, 1273; Thomas de Multon in Lincolnshire; Adam de Multon in Cambridgeshire; and Alex, de Multon in Oxfordshire. 4

Early History of the Moulton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moulton research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1582, 1591, 1616, 1617, 1624, 1628, 1634, 1638 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Moulton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moulton Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Moulson, Moulton, Molson, Molton and others.

Early Notables of the Moulton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Moulson, or Mowlson (1582-1638), an alderman, Sheriff of London in 1624 , Lord Mayor of London in 1634 and represented the City...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moulton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moulton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Moulton is the 2,298^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Moulton is ranked the 295^th most popular surname with an estimated 152 people with that name. 6

Moulton migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Moulton name or one of its variants:

Moulton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Moulton, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1629 7
Thomas Moulton, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet
Mrs. Jane Moulton who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 8
Anne Moulton, Jr., who arrived in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy" 9
Jane Moulton, who arrived in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moulton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Moulton, who arrived in New England in 1718 7
Charles Moulton, who arrived in New York in 1794 7

Moulton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Stephen Moulton, who arrived in New York, NY in 1834 7
J H Moulton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
E S Moulton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
B E Moulton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
S Moulton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moulton migration to Australia +

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

Moulton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Moulton, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. John Moulton, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Robert Harvey Moulton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 12
Christiana Moulton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 12
Robert George Moulton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Recovery" in 1839 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moulton 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:

Moulton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Moulton, (b. 1867), aged 17, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd January 1884 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Moulton (post 1700) +

Jonathan Moulton (1726-1787), American general of the 1st Brigade of the New Hampshire Militia, founder of the town of Moultonborough.
Fay Moulton (1876-1945), American bronze medalist for athletics at the 1904 Olympic games
Forest Ray Moulton (1872-1952), American astronomer
Charles Moulton (1893-1947), American comic book writer creator of the character Wonder Woman
Sarah Barrett Moulton (1783-1795), English portrait study, an eleven year old who died the year after the portrait, better known as Pinkie
Alexander Moulton (1920-2012), English engineer and inventor, specialising in suspension design
James Hope Moulton (1863-1917), English academic, Methodist minister
John Fletcher Moulton (1844-1921), 1st Baron Moulton, English mathematician, barrister, M.P. and judge
Alex Moulton (1920-2012), British engineer and inventor of vehicle suspension systems and bicycles
Stephen Moulton (1794-1880), British industrialist, as an agent of the U.S. rubber pioneer Charles Goodyear, he first brought samples of vulcanized rubber to the UK
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Moulton family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Gordon Eddy Moulton, American Fireman First Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 14

The Moulton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Regi fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to the king.

Citations +

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RECOVERY from London 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Recovery.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html