NameCensus.

UK surname

Moorse

A toponymic surname derived from a low-lying area prone to flooding.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Moorse surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Milborne Port, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, Cornwall and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moorse is 172 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.2%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2000

172 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moorse had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Moorse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moorse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moorse 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 166 #16,756
1997 modern 166 #19,797
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 163 #20,372
2002 modern 163 #20,767
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 164 #20,609
2005 modern 158 #21,052
2006 modern 144 #22,520
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 144 #23,037
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Moorses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Milborne Port, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Stowell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, Cornwall, South Somerset, North Dorset and Portsmouth. 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 Milborne Port Somerset
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Stowell Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 003 Maldon
2 Cornwall 020 Cornwall
3 South Somerset 005 South Somerset
4 North Dorset 001 North Dorset
5 Portsmouth 006 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moorse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moorse

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Moorse is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Moorse is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moorse falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Moorse

The surname MOORSE is an English toponymic name derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "marsh" or "fen" and "hors" meaning "horse." It likely originated from a place name referring to a marshy area where horses grazed or were bred.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with mentions of individuals with variations such as Mores, Morse, and Morce in records from counties like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest documented bearers was William Mores, listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, with John Mors recorded in 1327. The Domesday Book, a historical census compiled in 1086, does not contain direct references to the MOORSE surname, but it mentions places with similar-sounding names like Mors and Morse, which may have influenced the later development of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname MOORSE throughout history include:

1. John Moorse (c. 1525-1597), an English clergyman and author of theological works. 2. Robert Moorse (c. 1560-1624), an English explorer and writer who traveled to the Ottoman Empire and published accounts of his voyages. 3. George Moorse (1595-1658), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Haslemere during the English Civil War. 4. Henry Moorse (1672-1741), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1719 to 1722. 5. William Moorse (1815-1891), an English architect known for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

The MOORSE surname has also been linked to various place names, such as Moor's Nook in Cumbria, Moor's Farm in Oxfordshire, and Moorside in Lancashire, further reinforcing its topographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moorse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moorse 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. Somerset leads with 53 Moorses recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.37x.

County Total Index
Somerset 53 28.37x
Hampshire 13 5.46x
Lancashire 10 0.73x
Dorset 8 10.50x
Surrey 8 1.41x
Gloucestershire 7 3.08x
Yorkshire 7 0.61x
Middlesex 6 0.52x
Essex 2 0.87x
Devon 1 0.41x
Kent 1 0.25x
Monmouthshire 1 1.19x
Royal Navy 1 7.23x
Wiltshire 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milborne Port in Somerset leads with 18 Moorses recorded in 1881 and an index of 2400.00x.

Place Total Index
Milborne Port 18 2400.00x
Horsington 14 4666.67x
Stowell 9 22500.00x
Northallerton 7 476.19x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 28.00x
Portsea 6 12.87x
Sherborne 6 267.86x
Warrington 6 36.74x
Bermondsey 5 14.47x
Henstridge 5 961.54x
Hurstbourne Priors 4 2500.00x
St Pancras London 4 4.28x
Bury 3 19.07x
Pointington 3 6000.00x
Windlesham 3 283.02x
Yeovil 3 78.95x
St Marylebone London 2 3.23x
West Ham 2 3.95x
Abbas Temple Coombe 1 1000.00x
Aberystruth 1 13.51x
Aldershot 1 12.55x
Barnstaple 1 26.39x
Bristol St George 1 9.50x
Fugglestone St Peter 1 243.90x
Manchester 1 1.61x
Ringwood 1 65.79x
Royal Navy 1 8.46x
Shaftesbury St Peter 1 277.78x
St Mary Bourne 1 232.56x
St Peters 1 54.64x
Wyke Regis 1 91.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Anna 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alerina 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Georginam. 1
Harriet 1
Hester 1
Julia 1
Keziah 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
Henry 7
George 6
William 6
Charles 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Alec 1
Anna 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.A. 1
Harry 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Moorse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moorse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Moorse surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moorse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Moorse a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Moorse surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a low-lying area prone to flooding.

What does the Moorse map show?

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