# Moses (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/moses/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Greek |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 39,216 |
| US rank (2010) | 887 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,873 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.5% (36,814 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmoʊzəs/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Latin Mōsēs, from Ancient Greek Μωσῆς (Mōsês), from earlier Μωυσῆς (Mōusês), from Biblical Hebrew מֹשֶׁה (mōšê). Further etymology is unclear, but it is sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian ms-s (msj, “to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of deity] is the one who bore him’; or, alternatively, contains Egyptian N35A (mw, “water”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Moses in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 55% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 34% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 3.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Moses in the United States, Norway, Australia and the United Kingdom.

## People named Moses

- Edwin Moses, American track and field athlete
- Grandma Moses, American painter (1860–1961)
- Robert Moses, American urban planner (1888–1981)
- Mark Moses, American actor
- William R. Moses, American actor
- Senta Moses, actress
- China Moses, American singer and TV host
- Ed Moses, American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world champion, former world record-holder
- George H. Moses, American politician (1869-1944)
- Steve Moses, American ice hockey player
- Bob Moses, American musician
- John Moses, American politician (1885–1945)

and 7 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Moscoso, Macias, McHugh, Mojica, Musick, Messick, Machuca, McGough, Majewski, Music, Mejias, Makowski.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.