An English and Irish surname the Moody family name comes from the Old English terms of ‘modig’, ’modie’ and ’mutig’ which meant a person who was bold and brave, but also high spirited and impetuous.

Spelling variations for Moody include Mudie, Mudy, Moodye and Moodie.
The Moody surname came into Ireland in the 1200s.

In England the early Moody families came from Suffolk and Devonshire. Later they resettled in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Durham, Hampshire, Lancashire, Wiltshire and the city of London.
In Scotland the Moddy surname would be spelled Moodie. Most live in Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire in Scotland.

Across the Southern states in the United States the Moody surname is popular. The higher population is in Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, North and South Carolina and then into Ohio, New York, Maine and California.

Famous: John Moody (opera singer from Wales), Orville Moody (champion professional golfer), Elizabeth Moody (actress and film director in New Zealand), Keith Moody (professional football player), William Moody (professional wrestler and manager), William L. Moody, Jr. (founder of American National Insurance Co. and City National Bank), James Paul Moody (only junior officer to died on the RMS Titanic) and Paul Moody (19th century inventor of the power loom).