Moultrie
A Scottish locational surname, probably from a place name in Fife associated with a small river now called the Motray.
The #7,566 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,313 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is usually explained as a locational name, from a place called Moultrie or Moutrie in Fife, Scotland. Nineteenth-century writers linked it with a small river there, now called the Motray, so the name likely began as “of Moultrie,” meaning someone from that place. The deeper meaning of the place-name itself is uncertain, and older books do not agree on its exact linguistic roots.
History
The name appears in Scottish records and later turns up in London marriage registers and other British civil records. It also travelled to North America, where the spelling Moultrie became established. Variant forms such as Moutrie, Mutrie, and Muttrie reflect the same local surname tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries specifically connect the name to a river in Fife that was later known as the Motray.
From the historical record
“Kotiltri«, Uoutrla.— Local, ' of Moultrie.' As stated by Mr. Lower, 'A small river iu Fifeahire, now called the Motray.' .KK- Munied-”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances