Moody is of uncertain origin, though some sources suggest it may have been derived from an Old Norse personal name 'Módi', which means 'powerful'. It has also been proposed that Moody might be a variant of the Irish surname 'Moody' or the English surname 'Maudy'. The name first appeared in English records in the 13th century, with a certain 'Richard Moodi' listed in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. Today, Moody is predominantly used as a given name, though it can also serve as a surname.
The name Moody experienced a significant rise in popularity between the late 19th century and early 20th century, with the highest number of births recorded in 1918 (24 births) and 1922 (26 births). However, there was a steady decline in its usage as a baby name thereafter, with fewer than 15 births per year from 1930 onwards. The most recent data shows that the name Moody has continued to be used infrequently, with five births recorded in both 2022 and 2023. Overall, there were a total of 746 births with the name Moody between 1882 and 2023.