Mose: meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning & origin

Where it comes from

Mose is a variant of Moses. A possible origin is Egyptian, although the derivation remains uncertain.

Explained through its name family

How it developed

From Latin Moses, from Ancient Greek Μωησής, from Hebrew משה.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Mose is a variant of Moses. The history of Moses gives this family its wider story. Moses appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.

Combines direct and name-family evidence

Mose through the years

Babies since 1880: 7,990; 7,935 boys · 55 girls
Most popular year: 1919; 168 babies
2025: 25; #4,213 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: +4%; Steady

Mose in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inPennsylvania

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Pennsylvania (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 25 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,213 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 4.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 168 in 1919. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,151 as a first name in 2020; 1,891 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Mose’s family of names

Mose has a related form in Moses. In German usage, Mose has a related form in MOSCHE. In Swedish usage, Mose has a conventional equivalent in the French form Moïse.

Walk Mose’s family in the name graph

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Mose has relatives in 4 languages.

6 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 2

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 4

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 4

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

People named Mose

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Similar names

If you love Mose, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Hebrew · Old-fashioned

Sibling ideas

Names that share Mose’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Mose

A sister for Mose

Your shortlist

Mose