Moats
A surname that is usually explained as a variant or pluralized form related to moat, pointing to someone who lived by or worked near a moat or ditch.
The #5,956 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,435 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Moats is generally understood as an English surname connected with the word moat, from Middle English and Old French roots meaning a ditch or defensive trench, often around a castle or manor. As a surname, it may have begun as a topographic name for someone who lived near such a feature, or as a plural or variant spelling of the same underlying place-name element. In some cases, spelling variation in records could also reflect a local pronunciation rather than a distinct origin.
History
The surname is best attested in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, where it likely reflects the many spelling variants that developed from older English surnames. Because medieval and early modern spelling was fluid, forms like Moat, Moats, and similar spellings could be interchanged in records. The name is uncommon but well established in modern American usage.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A moat was not only a castle feature; in older English it could simply mean a ditch or trench, which is why many topographic surnames built from it are not necessarily noble in origin.