Moor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Germany 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The Moor surname in England arose independently from several sources. The name was topographic, for someone who lived near a moor, from Middle English more word "moor," meaning "an area of uncultivated land." It was taken on as a surname from an existing place name such as Moore in Cheshire or More in Shropshire. And, it also evolved from the personal name Moor, which came to Britain with the Normans.

Early Origins of the Moor family

The surname Moor was first found in Leicestershire, before the name had made its way to Ireland. Moor-Town in Yorkshire held an early significance to the family's lineage. "This place, which derives its name from its situation, anciently belonged to the Moore family, who flourished here at a very early period." 1

Barnbrough, or Barmbrough in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to another branch of the family. "This place has long been in the possession of the family of More; John More, only son and heir of Sir Thomas, the celebrated chancellor of England, having obtained it by marriage with Ann Cresacre, whose family had settled here in the reign of Edward I. Barmbrough Hall, the former seat of the Cresacres and Mores, is in a retired situation near the church." 1

"In the family vault of the Ropers church [in St. Dunstan, Kent], still lies the head of Sir Thomas More, which was placed here by his beloved daughter, and was discovered during some repairs in 1835." 1

Kirkdale in Lancashire was home to another branch of the family in early times. "The first on record of the Moore family is Randle de la Moore, who as reeve of Liverpool appeared at the sessions of the justices in eyre at Lancaster in 1246. His name frequently occurs in documents of the time of Henry III and Edward I. His eldest son, John de la Moore, sen., also attested many charters of the time of the first Edwards; he was one of the three attorneys found by the borough of Liverpool in a plea of quo warranto at Lancaster in 1292." 2

Early History of the Moor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moor research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1186, 1201, 1205, 1216, 1227, 1272, 1296, 1595, 1599, 1617, 1618, 1621, 1627, 1630, 1646, 1649, 1650, 1657, 1671, 1672, 1679, 1688, 1691, 1695, 1697, 1707, 1711, 1714 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Moor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moor Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Moore, Moor and others.

Early Notables of the Moor family

Notables of the family at this time include

Moor Ranking

In the United States, the name Moor is the 10,449th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3


Moor migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Moor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Moor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Moor migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Moor Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Moor Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Moor migration to Australia +

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

Moor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Moor 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:

Moor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Moor (post 1700) +
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