NameCensus.

UK surname

Moorehouse

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a moor or area of uncultivated land.

In the 1881 census there were 215 people recorded with the Moorehouse surname, ranking it #12,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 137, ranked #25,254, down from #12,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Doncaster and Almondbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Letham and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moorehouse is 215 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.3%.

1881 census count

215

Ranked #12,249

Modern count

137

2016, ranked #25,254

Peak year

1881

215 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moorehouse had 215 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016, ranked #25,254.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 215 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Moorehouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moorehouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moorehouse 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 165 #12,053
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 215 #12,249
1891 historical 199 #14,977
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 84 #24,442
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 140 #22,789
2000 modern 137 #23,048
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 137 #25,254

Geography

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Where Moorehouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Doncaster, Almondbury, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Letham and Birmingham. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 012 Bradford
2 Bradford 007 Bradford
3 Bradford 023 Bradford
4 Letham Perth and Kinross
5 Birmingham 011 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moorehouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moorehouse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moorehouse, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Moorehouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Moorehouse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Moorehouse is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moorehouse is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moorehouse falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moorehouse is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Moorehouse

The surname MOOREHOUSE is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place where the original bearers of the name resided or owned land.

One possible origin of the name is the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" or "marsh" and "hus" meaning "house" or "dwelling". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a house or settlement located near a marshy or moorland area.

Alternatively, the name could be derived from a specific place name, such as Moorhouse or Moorhousefarm, which are found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland.

The earliest recorded instances of the MOOREHOUSE surname can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which lists a John de Morhous.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a valuable record of landowners and property in England at the time of the Norman Conquest, there are references to places that may have given rise to the MOOREHOUSE surname, such as Mora and Moreshull.

Notable individuals with the surname MOOREHOUSE include:

1. John Moorehouse (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

2. William Moorehouse (1619-1685), an English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Sinfulnesse of Sinne and Fulness of Christ."

3. Thomas Moorehouse (1776-1826), an English painter and engraver, best known for his portraits and historical scenes.

4. James Moorehouse (1799-1865), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester, including the Royal Infirmary and the Assize Courts.

5. Mary Moorehouse (1836-1911), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who served as the principal of the Rockford Female Seminary in Illinois.

While the MOOREHOUSE surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a long and interesting history, with roots stretching back to the Middle Ages and connections to various regions of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moorehouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moorehouse 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. Yorkshire leads with 110 Moorehouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 110 5.29x
Lancashire 59 2.37x
Staffordshire 11 1.55x
Cheshire 10 2.16x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.48x
Middlesex 5 0.24x
Devon 4 0.92x
Sussex 2 0.57x
Worcestershire 2 0.73x
Caernarfonshire 1 1.18x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Hampshire 1 0.23x
Lincolnshire 1 0.30x
Surrey 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 30 Moorehouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 135.44x.

Place Total Index
Keighley 30 135.44x
Almondbury 27 268.66x
Read 19 2835.82x
Burnley 11 52.48x
Marsden In Almondbury 10 529.10x
Doncaster 8 52.70x
Marton 8 484.85x
Brewood 7 343.14x
Bulwell 6 97.56x
Lepton 6 276.50x
Thurstonland 6 833.33x
Cheetham 5 26.94x
Wakefield 5 31.35x
Dukinfield 4 18.70x
Hyde 4 29.28x
Nether Hallam 4 14.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 11.89x
Rushall 4 95.92x
York St Nicholas In 4 341.88x
Hackney London 3 2.55x
Old Laund Booth 3 1250.00x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 3 319.15x
West Derby 3 4.12x
Brighton 2 2.80x
Habergham Eaves 2 8.79x
Liverpool 2 1.32x
Liversedge 2 21.62x
Normanton 2 32.00x
Sale 2 35.21x
St Pancras London 2 1.18x
Upperswinford 2 86.21x
Wadsworth 2 59.17x
Aldershot 1 6.94x
Bromsberrow 1 526.32x
Gainsborough 1 12.64x
Huddersfield 1 3.30x
Lambeth 1 0.55x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 19.08x
Llandudno 1 33.11x
Longwood 1 29.85x
Manchester 1 0.89x
Newchurch 1 4.91x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.37x
Poulton Barre 1 35.34x
Scarborough 1 5.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 15
Mary 13
Ann 9
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 8
Alice 5
Martha 5
Annie 4
Hannah 4
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Charlotte 2
Fanny 2
Julia 2
Margaret 2
Nanny 2
Ruth 2
Ada 1
Adah 1
Anie 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Davina 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Infant 1
Janet 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Nancy 1
Nina 1
Olive 1
Priscilla 1
Rebeca 1
Rosa 1
Sally 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
James 8
William 7
George 6
Robert 5
Thomas 5
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 2
Henry 2
Smith 2
Wellington 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Ambrose 1
Amelia 1
Benj. 1
Charles 1
Charlie 1
Curra 1
Cyrus 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Emmett 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Gough 1
Hen.Geo. 1
Ivison 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Josh. 1
Joshua 1
Kimble 1
Lewis 1
Michael 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Robinson 1
Tim 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Moorehouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moorehouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 215 people were recorded with the Moorehouse surname. That placed it at #12,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moorehouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 137 in 2016. That gives Moorehouse a modern rank of #25,254.

What does the Moorehouse surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a moor or area of uncultivated land.

What does the Moorehouse map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Moorehouse 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.