Talk:Moody (surname)

"There is also a high incidence of the similar-sounding surname 'Moodie' in Scotland and Orkney, although the variant ending "ie" is thought to be unrelated and Celtic in origin."

Vikings inhabited the Orkney islands and it is known that they further inhabited the coastal regions, especially along the estuaries on the Eastern side of Scotland. There is a concentration of Mudie's to be found in Caithness and the Orkney islands. Also Mudie's are found in the Dundee area. The name is generally thought to have come from the old Scots word Moodie or Mudie, meaning gallant or courageous. Later through increased interactions with English, the name also took the alternative Moodie form. Parish records in Dundee always used the 'Mudie' form but from 1652 there was a sudden change to the 'Moodie' spelling (this coincided with a change in the parish minister who was sent to the Tower when Monk stormed Dundee). In 1716 the Mudie form was restored in Dundee parish registers. In other locations the alternative Moodie spelling became common, especially Mudie's who spent time abroad tended to change the spelling to Moodie.