Moody
A surname that can mean “brave, proud, or spirited,” though some bearers may descend from a Scottish form or, less likely, a different local-name source.
The #519 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,792 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Moody is usually taken from Middle English mody, from Old English modig, meaning brave, spirited, proud, or high-minded. That older sense is quite different from the modern adjective moody, which later came to mean changeable in temper or melancholy. Historical surname books also note Scottish forms such as Moodie and Mudie, which are treated as related regional spellings.
History
Early surname writers describe Moody as a nickname for a bold or resolute person, and they note that it appears frequently in medieval records. In Scotland, Moodie and Mudie became established forms, and English Moody was often treated as the same name. Some older sources also suggest a separate Norman origin for a few similar-looking forms, but that is not the main explanation for Moody as commonly borne today.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname Moody originally had the flattering sense “bold” or “spirited,” not the gloomy meaning the word has today.
From the historical record
“MOODIE 1 (Eng.) Spirited, Brave, Proud; MOODY J later, Morose, Gloomy [M.E. mody,0.'E,. mddig\ See Mody. MOON (Eng.) a name derived from a trade or armorial sign [O.E. mdnal Cp. the corresponding German Mond. (Fr.) Bel. to IVloon, Mohun or Mohon”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)