NameCensus.

UK surname

Moorhouse

A locational surname originally denoting someone from a house on a moor.

In the 1881 census there were 3,703 people recorded with the Moorhouse surname, ranking it #1,233 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,920, ranked #1,723, down from #1,233 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Almondbury, Bradford and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Ribble Valley and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moorhouse is 5,091 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.9%.

1881 census count

3,703

Ranked #1,233

Modern count

3,920

2016, ranked #1,723

Peak year

1911

5,091 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moorhouse had 3,703 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,233 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,920 in 2016, ranked #1,723.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,091 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moorhouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moorhouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moorhouse 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 2,370 #1,257
1861 historical 2,388 #1,231
1881 historical 3,703 #1,233
1891 historical 4,112 #1,168
1901 historical 4,632 #1,219
1911 historical 5,091 #1,033
1997 modern 4,138 #1,563
1998 modern 4,248 #1,579
1999 modern 4,261 #1,588
2000 modern 4,219 #1,595
2001 modern 4,126 #1,594
2002 modern 4,161 #1,624
2003 modern 4,022 #1,643
2004 modern 3,992 #1,655
2005 modern 3,893 #1,672
2006 modern 3,906 #1,669
2007 modern 3,937 #1,674
2008 modern 3,946 #1,678
2009 modern 4,036 #1,681
2010 modern 4,094 #1,696
2011 modern 4,101 #1,664
2012 modern 3,983 #1,688
2013 modern 4,031 #1,698
2014 modern 4,020 #1,718
2015 modern 3,949 #1,724
2016 modern 3,920 #1,723

Geography

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Where Moorhouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Almondbury, Bradford, Sheffield, Huddersfield and Kirkburton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Ribble Valley and Doncaster. 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 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 053 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 047 Kirklees
4 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
5 Doncaster 003 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moorhouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moorhouse

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Moorhouse is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moorhouse 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

Moorhouse falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moorhouse 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 Moorhouse, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Moorhouse

The surname MOORHOUSE is an English locational surname that originated in the northern counties of England. It is derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" or "marshy upland" and "hus" meaning "house" or "dwelling." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or on a moor or marshy area.

The earliest recorded instance of the MOORHOUSE surname dates back to the late 12th century in Yorkshire. It appeared in various forms such as "de Morehous," "atte Morhous," and "del Moorhouse" in medieval records and documents.

The MOORHOUSE surname has been present in several historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was listed as "de Morehous" in Yorkshire. It was also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1379 in Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MOORHOUSE surname was John de Morehous, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. Another notable bearer of the name was William del Moorhouse, who was mentioned in the Lancashire Inquests of 1324.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the MOORHOUSE surname. These include:

1. Sir Robert Moorhouse (c. 1537 - 1609), an English politician and member of Parliament for Guildford in 1586. 2. James Moorhouse (1770 - 1848), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Manchester. 3. Alfred Moorhouse (1835 - 1925), an English-born Australian politician and member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia. 4. Edward Moorhouse (1803 - 1887), an English civil engineer who designed and built numerous railway lines in the United Kingdom. 5. Harry Moorhouse (1916 - 1995), an English professional footballer who played as a forward for various clubs, including Blackpool and Walsall.

The MOORHOUSE surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Moorhouse in Lancashire and Moorhouse Farm in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moorhouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moorhouse 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 2,211 Moorhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,211 6.17x
Lancashire 866 2.02x
Cheshire 132 1.65x
Derbyshire 62 1.10x
Middlesex 59 0.16x
Westmorland 49 6.17x
Nottinghamshire 41 0.84x
Staffordshire 40 0.33x
Surrey 40 0.23x
Warwickshire 25 0.27x
Kent 20 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 15 0.45x
Northumberland 15 0.28x
Durham 14 0.13x
Gloucestershire 14 0.20x
Shropshire 14 0.45x
Sussex 13 0.21x
Cumberland 11 0.35x
Norfolk 11 0.20x
Hertfordshire 10 0.40x
Berkshire 7 0.26x
Banffshire 6 0.80x
Herefordshire 6 0.40x
Lanarkshire 6 0.05x
Essex 4 0.06x
Royal Navy 4 0.93x
Worcestershire 4 0.08x
Hampshire 2 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.15x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Wigtownshire 1 0.21x
Wiltshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 83 Moorhouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.10x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 83 4.10x
Meltham 74 132.83x
Horton In Bradford 69 12.33x
Kirkburton 69 163.35x
Huddersfield 67 12.84x
Fulstone 63 240.37x
Lockwood 63 48.88x
Habergham Eaves 57 14.54x
Bradford 53 6.11x
Padiham 52 50.17x
Almondbury 51 29.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 45 4.80x
Bingley 44 19.29x
Wakefield 44 16.00x
Keighley 43 11.26x
Burnley 41 11.35x
Dukinfield 40 10.85x
Hapton 40 149.14x
Wooldale 39 64.19x
Manchester 38 1.97x
Manningham 35 7.93x
Oldham 35 2.53x
Pudsey 35 18.28x
Accrington 33 8.46x
Austonley 33 162.72x
Saddleworth 33 11.94x
Ecclesfield 32 12.18x
Hulme 32 3.57x
Newchurch 32 9.12x
Bowling 31 8.74x
Honley 31 49.44x
Brightside Bierlow 30 4.27x
Hepworth 30 207.33x
Thornton In Bradford 30 25.16x
Salford 29 2.30x
Horbury 27 43.08x
Lepton 27 72.15x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 27 29.88x
Cartworth 26 87.75x
Skelmanthorpe 26 67.24x
Nether Hallam 24 4.95x
Sheffield 24 2.10x
Ecclesall Bierlow 22 3.02x
Liverpool 22 0.84x
Calverley Cum Farsley 21 20.64x
Rotherham 21 10.40x
Dalton In Huddersfield 20 24.92x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 20 15.63x
Scarborough 20 6.14x
Baildon 19 28.16x
Battersea 19 1.43x
Preston 19 1.66x
Thurlstone 19 53.78x
Barnsley 18 4.87x
Blackburn 18 1.58x
Hunslet 18 3.22x
Upperthong 18 59.07x
Dewsbury 17 4.63x
Hollingworth 17 51.67x
Mirfield 17 8.64x
South Crosland 17 45.07x
Thurstonland 17 137.10x
Glossop Dale 16 6.04x
Great Harwood 16 20.63x
Haslingden 16 9.01x
Tintwistle 16 37.52x
Dodworth 15 40.31x
Great Little Marsden 15 7.63x
Thornthwaite Cum 15 490.20x
Barugh 14 46.27x
Bradfield 14 10.14x
Bury 14 2.86x
Gorton 14 3.47x
Hyde 14 5.95x
Skipton 14 12.42x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 13 9.99x
Birmingham 13 0.43x
Halifax 13 2.47x
Longwood 13 22.51x
Over Darwen 13 3.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 284
Sarah 180
Elizabeth 131
Ann 94
Martha 73
Hannah 67
Annie 65
Emma 63
Jane 62
Ellen 55
Eliza 50
Alice 49
Harriet 33
Margaret 32
Emily 30
Ada 27
Edith 21
Clara 19
Fanny 17
Lucy 17
Betty 15
Florence 15
Charlotte 14
Esther 14
Susannah 14
Agnes 12
Lydia 12
Maria 12
Isabella 11
Louisa 11
Nancy 11
Ruth 11
Catherine 10
Frances 10
Sophia 10
Bertha 9
Kate 9
Ethel 8
Grace 8
Amy 7
Elizth. 7
Helen 7
Julia 7
Minnie 7
Anne 6
Dinah 6
Gertrude 6
Mabel 6
Matilda 5
Rose 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 202
William 168
George 119
James 114
Joseph 91
Thomas 88
Henry 61
Arthur 51
Charles 46
Edward 41
Robert 40
Harry 30
Herbert 28
Fred 27
Walter 27
Benjamin 26
Joe 25
Samuel 23
Alfred 22
Albert 21
Tom 19
Richard 18
Edwin 17
Frank 15
Wm. 15
Frederick 14
Willie 14
Joshua 12
Sam 11
Thos. 11
Allen 10
Ben 10
Ernest 10
Isaac 10
Jonathan 10
Matthew 10
Eli 9
David 8
Jim 7
Jno. 7
Wilson 7
Christopher 6
Earnest 6
Abraham 5
Geo. 5
Jas. 5
Sidney 5
Wilfred 5
Martin 4
Richd. 4

FAQ

Moorhouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moorhouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,703 people were recorded with the Moorhouse surname. That placed it at #1,233 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moorhouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,920 in 2016. That gives Moorhouse a modern rank of #1,723.

What does the Moorhouse surname mean?

A locational surname originally denoting someone from a house on a moor.

What does the Moorhouse map show?

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