NameCensus.

UK surname

Moorehead

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a moor or marshland.

In the 1881 census there were 28 people recorded with the Moorehead surname, ranking it #29,646 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, up from #29,646 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Camden and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moorehead is 185 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 532.1%.

1881 census count

28

Ranked #29,646

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

2013

185 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moorehead had 28 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,646 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 52 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Moorehead surname distribution map

The map shows where the Moorehead surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Moorehead surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moorehead over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 33 #27,390
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 28 #29,646
1891 historical 46 #30,657
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 157 #21,146
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 164 #20,973
2008 modern 164 #21,137
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 179 #20,679
2013 modern 185 #20,575
2014 modern 177 #21,340
2015 modern 175 #21,372
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Mooreheads are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Camden, Rossendale, East Northamptonshire and Kingholm. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 003 Craven
2 Camden 018 Camden
3 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
4 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire
5 Kingholm Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moorehead

These lists show first names that appear often with the Moorehead surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moorehead

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moorehead, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Moorehead surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Moorehead household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Moorehead is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moorehead is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moorehead falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moorehead is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Moorehead, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moorehead

The surname Moorehead is of Scottish origin and is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Moorhead, which is located near Bathgate in West Lothian, Scotland. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" and "heafod" meaning "head" or "hill", referring to a person who lived near a moorland hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1505, where a John Moirheid is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1532, which mention a Robert Moirheid.

In the late 16th century, the name was also recorded in various spellings such as Moorheid, Muirheid, and Muirhead. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

One notable person with the surname Moorehead was Sir James Moorehead, who was born in 1770 and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1832. He was a successful merchant and banker, and played a prominent role in the City of London.

Another prominent individual was John Moorehead (1734-1804), an American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the first president of the University of Pennsylvania in 1779.

In the field of literature, there was Mary Moorehead (1905-1994), an Australian novelist and biographer who wrote several books about the lives of famous writers and explorers.

The name Moorehead is also associated with Sir William Moorehead (1835-1919), a Scottish engineer and shipbuilder who was knighted for his contributions to the industry.

Lastly, Alan Moorehead (1910-1983) was a renowned Australian writer and journalist, known for his works on World War II and other historical events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moorehead families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moorehead surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 8 Mooreheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.47x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 2.47x
Durham 6 7.39x
Devon 4 7.04x
Middlesex 4 1.47x
Lanarkshire 3 3.40x
Fife 2 12.38x
Ayrshire 1 4.90x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crumpsall in Lancashire leads with 8 Mooreheads recorded in 1881 and an index of 1052.63x.

Place Total Index
Crumpsall 8 1052.63x
Bishopwearmouth 6 86.08x
Stoke Damerel 4 100.50x
Tottenham 4 91.95x
Barony 3 13.43x
St Andrews 2 273.97x
St Quivox 1 144.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Moorehead surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Harriet 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Blanch 1
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Mable 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Moorehead surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 3
Augustus 1
Bob 1
James 1
Jim 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Tom 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Moorehead households.

FAQ

Moorehead surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moorehead surname in 1881?

In 1881, 28 people were recorded with the Moorehead surname. That placed it at #29,646 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moorehead surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Moorehead a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Moorehead surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a moor or marshland.

What does the Moorehead map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Moorehead bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.