Moxley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Moxley date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in one of the places called Moseley in Staffordshire and Worcestershire (both in the West Midlands region), in Moseley in West Dean in Gloucestershire, or in Mowsley in Leicestershire. There is also a Mossley in Greater Manchester.

Early Origins of the Moxley family

The surname Moxley was first found in Moseley, now a suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands or in Moseley in Herefordshire and Worcestershire or in Mowsley, a small village in Lancashire. All four locations are listed in the Domesday Book. 1

The West Midlands village was originally called Moleshi and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Moll," from the Old English personal name + leah. The latter three locations were listed as Museleie and in these cases, the place names literally meant "woodland clearing infested with mice." 2

Mossely, a small town and civil parish in Greater Manchester was first listed as Moselegh in 1319 and literally meant "woodland clearing by a swamp or bog." 2

The first record of the family was found in London where Robert de Molseleye was listed in 1325. A few years later in Staffordshire, John de Mollesley was found in the Subsidy Rolls for 1332, and later gain, Thomas Mollesseley was listed in Cambridgeshire in 1340. 3

Early History of the Moxley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Moxley research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1527, 1599, 1609, 1610, 1612, 1639, 1647, 1660, 1661, 1665, 1674, 1705, 1720, 1751, 1757 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Moxley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moxley Spelling Variations

Moxley has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Moxley have been found, including Moseley, Mosely, Mosley, Mossley and others.

Early Notables of the Moxley family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Nicholas Moseley; Humphrey Moseley (died 1661), a prominent London publisher and bookseller, best known for the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647; Sir Edward Mosley, 1st Baronet of Rolleston; and Sir Edward Mosley, 2nd Baronet (1639-1665), an English politician, Sheriff of Lancashire in 1660, Member of Parliament...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Moxley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Moxley Ranking

In the United States, the name Moxley is the 6,530^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Moxley migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Moxleys to arrive on North American shores:

Moxley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John S Moxley, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1849 5
Francis Moxley, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
George Moxley, aged 5, who landed in America, in 1892
David Moxley, aged 1, who landed in America, in 1893
Lizzie Moxley, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Moxley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

J. W. Moxley, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1907
Mrs. J. W. Moxley, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
Paulina Moxley, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1910
Irving Moxley, aged 22, who settled in America, in 1910
Beatric Moxley, aged 29, who immigrated to America from Aberkallery, S. Wales, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Moxley (post 1700) +

William James Moxley (1851-1938), Irish-born, American politician, Representative from Illinois' 6th congressional district, 1909-1911
Jon Moxley (b. 1985), ring name of Jonathan Good, an American professional wrestler
Jennifer Moxley (b. 1954), American poet, editor, and translator
William Kelvin Moxley (b. 1963), American Republican politician, Radio show host; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 2004 6
William James Moxley (1851-1938), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Illinois, 1900; Presidential Elector for Illinois, 1904; U.S. Representative from Illinois 6th District, 1909-11 6
Walter Moxley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1924 6
Norman E. Moxley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1952 6
Lisa Moxley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, 2010 6
Kyle Moxley, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State Board of Education, 2002 6
James Moxley, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for Presidential Elector for Iowa, 1972 6
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html