Moody
Masculine
Moody is a surname that is also an ordinary adjective, and the noun underneath it has a twin that came from somewhere else entirely. A grammatical mood and a bad mood have nothing to do with each other.
How old is the name Moody?
Moody first appears in US birth records in 1882 — 143 years ago. The typical Moody alive today was born around 1925, making them about 100 years old. About 100 people named Moody are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Moody most popular?
Moody peaked in 1893, reaching #650 nationally. See the whole 1893 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Moody
Old English mōd meant mind, spirit or courage, and a moody man was a spirited one; the sense of sulkiness is a late narrowing. That word is native and has cousins across the Germanic languages. The mood of a verb, meanwhile, is not that word at all: it comes from the Latin modus, a measure or manner, and reached English through grammarians, where it was originally spelled mode and got pulled toward the other spelling by sheer proximity. So two words that look identical and describe states of being are unrelated, and one of them is about the mind while the other is about method.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The surname is generally taken as a byname from the Old English word, which meant brave or spirited rather than sulky. Whether an American Moody comes from the surname or from the word is not recorded.
Pronouncing Moody
MOO-dee
Two syllables with the stress in front, said exactly like the adjective.
Nicknames for Moody
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1882
- Most boys named
- 191924 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #650reached in 1893
- Change vs 2022
- 0.0%5 in 2023, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Moodys among us
people named Moody are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Moody sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is read correctly at first sight and never needs spelling out loud.
- It sits in the familiar family of surnames Americans use in front position.
- The original sense of the word was brave rather than sulky, which is worth knowing.
- It is an ordinary English adjective with an unflattering modern sense, which will be remarked on.
- It reads as a surname to most listeners, which suits some families and not others.
- No origin is documented for the first name, so the meaning question has nothing settled behind it.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Moody to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Moody? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Moody
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Moodys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Moody are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Moody in 2025?
- Moody is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Moody with classmates?
- Moody will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Michael#21 · Matthew#32 · Mark#244 · Mason#39 · Martin#335 · Marvin#699 · Melvin#958 · Marcus#258
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Moody? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Moody and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle