An English and Welsh surname, the Moss family name comes from the Middle English term of ‘mos’ in reference to someone who lives by a peat bog.

Spelling variations for Moss include Mosse and Mos.

In Scotland the Moss families mostly live in Lanarkshire and Midlothian and then scattered in several additional Scottish counties. In England and Wales, the Moss name is all across the regions. It is most frequently found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Essex and the city of London.


Across approximately the eastern half of the United States the Moss surname is very popular. The states with the greatest percentage of Moss families are Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio.


Famous: Howard Moss (poet and poetry editor for The New Yorker magazine), David Moss (music composer and singer), Stirling C. Moss (English racing car driver), Brandon Moss (professional baseball player), Laura Moss (actress), John C. Moss (19th century inventor in 1863 of the first practicable photo-engraving process), Jarvis Moss (professional football player), Kate Moss (supermodel) and Carrie-Anne Moss (actress from Canada).