Mosse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Mosse is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived 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 Mosse. 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 Mosse family

The surname Mosse 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 Mosse family

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

Mosse Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Mosse are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Mosse include: Moss, Mos, Mosse and others.

Early Notables of the Mosse family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Moss. "In 1608 the capital messuage of Richard Moss, a recusant, of Skelmersdale [Lancashire], was granted on lease by the king to Edward Thurstan and Robert Webb. Richard Moss was still living in 1628 when, as a convicted recusant, he paid double to...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mosse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mosse Ranking

In France, the name Mosse is the 8,901^st most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Mosse family to Ireland

Some of the Mosse 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.

Mosse migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Mosse or a variant listed above:

Mosse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Mosse, who landed in Virginia in 1622 7
Thomas Mosse, who arrived in Maryland in 1633-1641 7
Joseph Mosse, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1634
Joseph Mosse, aged 24, who arrived in New England in 1634 7
Eliz Mosse, who arrived in Virginia in 1639 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mosse (post 1700) +

Claude Mossé (1924-2022), French historian from Pairs who specialized in the history of Ancient Greece

The Mosse 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: En la rose je fleurie
Motto Translation: I flourish in the rose.

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)