Moffat Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Moffat last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Moffat last name
Meaning of the Moffat last name: long plain. Moffat is a Scottish surname from the town of Moffat in Dumfriesshire, from Gaelic magh, "plain", and fada, "long". The Moffats were a Border family of Annandale. Missionary Robert Moffat, father-in-law of David Livingstone, carried this last name. The town is known for its wool trade and its spa.
Arms associated with the Moffat name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Moffat name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Moffat family history
This is only a glimpse of the Moffat story. The full Moffat history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Moffat coat of arms. Get the full Moffat report.
Moffat name FAQ
What does the Moffat name mean?
Long plain. Common variants include Moffatt, Moffett.
Where does the Moffat surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Moffat coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Moffat coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).