The English name MOSELING may be of German or French origin from the name of the German river "Mosel" which flows between France and Germany. Surnames are often derived from a feature (either man made of natural) near where the original bearer of the name once lived or held land.

In Germany we find places named Mosel and Moesslinger, and it could be that the name originates from here, being brought to England at an, as yet, unknown time.

Although no connection has been made between their comprehensive information and the MOSELING family, an investigation of the records held by the Huguenot Society in London (French Protestant immigrants) reveal a number of references to similiar surnames.

The spelling of the name MOSELING changes through the years. MOSLEIN (as in WILLIAM Bp.1727) becomes MOSLIN in the recording of his childrens' baptisms. From the 19th century the name has a variety of spellings in parish and other official records: MOSLEN, MOSLIN, MOSLING and MOSELING. Even today there are two different spellings - those from the Isle of Wight branch of the family carry the spelling MOSLING, the remainder of the family use MOSELING.

The earliest record of a member of the family to appear in parish registers is that of the baptism of JAMES MOSELEIN, in 1694, in the parish of St.James, Dover.

In the I.G.I. there are records in the early 1700's of baptisms and marriages of MOSLIN's in the villages of Whaplode, Boston, Long Sutton, Holbeach and Spalding in Lincolnshire. In London, the earliest records on the I.G.I. show the baptisms of SARA MOSLAND at S.George's Stepney in 1612 and that of WILLIAM MOSLIN at S.Andrew's Holborn in 1664. Records at the Family Records Centre in London reveal many references to MOSLIN's from 1827 upto the present day. However, although very similar in spelling, none of these records appear to fit into the Family Tree of the Moseling family from Kent.

Some other websites of related interest are;