An English surname, Mosley comes from the Old English term of ‘mus-leah’ meant mouse wood or woodland-clearing. The different spellings for Mosley include Mowsly, Moseley, Mowsley Mosely and Mousley. In England the Mosley families originated in Leicestershire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Lancashire counties. It was the Mosley families who were once the lords of the manor of Manchester, England for centuries. In Scotland the Mosley families lived in Lanarkshire and Angus counties along with Ayrshire. Within the United States the Mosley families primarily live in the southern states, especially in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Carolina and Kentucky. Famous: Mike Mosley (race car driver), Edward Mosley (mid-19th century pioneer in Kansas), Chuck Mosley (singer), Shane Mosley (boxing champion), Mark Mosley (professional football player), Lacey Mosley (singer) and Michael Mosley (actor).