Moe is a given name or nickname that is often short for Maurice, Moab, Morris, Mortimer, Morton, Murray, Mohammed, Moore, Moses, Mordecai, or other given names). It can be used for both boys and girls, and is sometimes used as a gender-bending nickname for girls. Moe can also be a surname, possibly formed by abbreviation of Moses or another name beginning with "Mo-". In addition, MOE can be an acronym for various phrases, such as Maintenance Of Effort, Measure Of Effectiveness, or Ministry Of Education.