Surname Molesworth - Meaning and Origin
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Molesworth: What does the surname Molesworth mean?
Molesworth is a classic British name of Anglo-Saxon origin that can be traced back to ancient times. The name is toponymic, meaning it’s derived from a place name. It originates from a small region near Huntingdon in England known as Molesworth. The place name and hence this surname are thought to mean "Muli's enclosure" or "Muli's farm", derived from the Old English personal name "Muli" (meaning mule), and "worth", an Old English term for an enclosed settlement or an enclosed piece of land like a farm or a homestead. Therefore, Molesworth may have referred to someone who lived in or was from that area. Like many surnames from the middle ages, the spelling of this name has evolved over time and it has several variations including Mollsworth, Molsworth, and others. As a surname, it has been borne by various notable figures including the British children's writer Mary Louisa Molesworth and New Zealand farmer, parliamentarian and diarist William Molesworth.
Order DNA origin analysisMolesworth: Where does the name Molesworth come from?
The last name MOLESWORTH is primarily found in England and various parts of the British Isles today. This British surname originates from Cornwall; one of England's western counties, and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon surname MULEWROTH. Once found all throughout England and the surrounding British Isles, the MOLESWORTH surname is now particularly concentrated in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Essex, and Lincolnshire, England. However, it can also be found in other British Isles countries such as Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Jersey, and the Isle of Man.
MOLESWORTH is an uncommon but ancient British surname, which can be found in documents of as early as the 12th century. The first recorded spelling of the surname was found in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall in 1184, when Sire Mulewroth was listed as a tax payer. Today, a large branch of the MOLESWORTH family lives in Australia, with ancestry derived from English settlers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In addition to England and the British Isles, family members with the last name can now be found in other countries around the world. With the massive immigration cycles of the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, many MOLESWORTH descendants have moved to the United States, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, and other nations. Unfortunately, hereditary diseases have caused the MOLESWORTH surname to decrease in numbers in recent decades.
Variations of the surname Molesworth
Molesworth is a surname of Anglo-Saxon and Irish origin and has several different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Examples of variant spellings of the surname Molesworth include Molesword, Mollisworth, Moulsforth, Molsworth, Moylesworth, Moulsorrth, Moleswoorth, and Molveden.
In England, for example, the earliest known record of the Molesworth surname is that of Robertus de Molesworde, who was documented in the Warwickshire Hundred Rolls of 1273. During this time, the spelling of the surname was mainly Molesword, which is believed to be derived from the Old English words "maeles" and "wurth," meaning mill enclosure.
The Irish version of Molesworth, as recorded by the Church of Ireland in the 19th-century, is usually spelled Molleworth, Molworth, or Mullaworta. This is likely derived from the Old Irish "Maolgearna," which is a compound of the elements "maol" (lord or devotee) and "gearna" (from an earthen mound).
In addition, there are several other surnames which could be interpreted as variants or derivatives of Molesworth. For example, the surname Moleswood is derived from either the Old English "mœłle" (shrubland) and "wod" (wood) or from the Middle English "mulle" (mouse) and "urd" (earth). The surname Milanworth, which first appeared in Leicestershire in 1218, is also derived from the Old English "mōla" (mill) and "weard" (guard or keeper).
Overall, the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Molesworth are very diverse, tracing back to a variety of English, Old English, Middle English, and Irish origins.
Famous people with the name Molesworth
- Henry Molesworth: was a British Naval Officer and Member of Parliament.
- Sir Rushworth Molesworth: was a British politician who served as Governor of St. Kitts in the Leeward Islands in the 1760s.
- Mary Molesworth: was an English poet and writer.
- William Molesworth: was an English philosopher and political thinker in the 19th century.
- Charles Molesworth: was an American military intelligence officer in the United States Army.
- Herbert Molesworth: was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd Premier of Victoria.
- Lady Anne Molesworth: was the daughter of Sir Robert Molesworth, 2nd Baronet, of Ireland.
- John Molesworth: was an English antiquary and member of parliament.
- Thomas Molesworth: was an American lawyer and politician.
- Florence Molesworth: was an American sewer, social activist, and labor organizer.