NameCensus.

UK surname

More

A surname derived from the Old French "maur" meaning dark-skinned, or referring to someone living near a moor.

In the 1881 census there were 2,366 people recorded with the More surname, ranking it #1,881 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,820, ranked #3,485, down from #1,881 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burghead, Roseisle and Laich, Wick North and Carse of Stirling.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for More is 2,730 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 23.1%.

1881 census count

2,366

Ranked #1,881

Modern count

1,820

2016, ranked #3,485

Peak year

1861

2,730 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • More had 2,366 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,881 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,820 in 2016, ranked #3,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,730 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

More surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

More surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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More 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 2,638 #1,120
1861 historical 2,730 #1,076
1881 historical 2,366 #1,881
1891 historical 2,108 #2,209
1901 historical 1,759 #2,951
1911 historical 672 #6,279
1997 modern 1,506 #3,895
1998 modern 1,538 #3,966
1999 modern 1,543 #3,983
2000 modern 1,532 #3,994
2001 modern 1,474 #4,050
2002 modern 1,518 #4,029
2003 modern 1,491 #4,023
2004 modern 1,500 #3,997
2005 modern 1,503 #3,955
2006 modern 1,526 #3,900
2007 modern 1,555 #3,853
2008 modern 1,568 #3,862
2009 modern 1,616 #3,850
2010 modern 1,687 #3,787
2011 modern 1,668 #3,775
2012 modern 1,715 #3,616
2013 modern 1,769 #3,581
2014 modern 1,792 #3,563
2015 modern 1,817 #3,498
2016 modern 1,820 #3,485

Geography

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Where Mores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burghead, Roseisle and Laich, Wick North, Carse of Stirling, Kippen and Fintry and Wick South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wick Caithness
2 London parishes London 3
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burghead, Roseisle and Laich Moray
2 Wick North Highland
3 Carse of Stirling Stirling
4 Kippen and Fintry Stirling
5 Wick South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with More

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for More

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the More surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every More household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, More is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

More is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

More falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for More 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of More

The surname More has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'mor', meaning a marshland or a moor. The name was initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a moor or marshland.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname More can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de la More'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, the spelling evolved from 'de la More' to 'More', reflecting the gradual transition from French to English.

During the medieval period, the surname More was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. It is believed that the name originated from place names such as Moor, a township in Cheshire, or Mere, a village in Shropshire. These place names were likely derived from the Old English word 'mor', further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its topographic origins.

One of the earliest and most prominent individuals with the surname More was Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), an English lawyer, scholar, and renowned Renaissance humanist. He served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII and was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935. Another notable figure was Hannah More (1745-1833), an English religious writer and philanthropist known for her efforts in education and social reform.

In the 17th century, Samuel More (1594-1662) was a notable English philosopher and a member of the Cambridge Platonists, a group of thinkers who sought to reconcile Christian theology with Platonic philosophy. John More (1617-1670), a Church of England clergyman, was also an influential figure during this period.

Moving into the 18th century, Hannah More's contemporary, Sir Shenton Thomas More (1770-1828), was a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral and was knighted for his services.

The surname More continued to be prominent in various fields, including literature, politics, and academia, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable individuals include Thomas More Musgrave (1788-1860), an English scholar and antiquarian, and Sir William More (1799-1877), an English railway engineer and entrepreneur.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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More families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the More 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. Lanarkshire leads with 293 Mores recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.99x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 293 3.99x
Middlesex 232 1.02x
Fife 138 10.26x
Morayshire 127 35.98x
Midlothian 115 3.78x
Caithness 106 34.08x
Surrey 92 0.83x
Angus 77 3.66x
Devon 65 1.37x
Essex 54 1.20x
Warwickshire 48 0.84x
Lincolnshire 47 1.29x
Lancashire 45 0.17x
Norfolk 45 1.29x
Yorkshire 42 0.19x
Kent 41 0.53x
Stirlingshire 38 4.53x
Renfrewshire 36 2.04x
Leicestershire 34 1.35x
Hampshire 33 0.71x
Northumberland 33 0.98x
Staffordshire 33 0.43x
Suffolk 32 1.16x
Ross-shire 29 4.65x
Somerset 29 0.79x
Gloucestershire 27 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 26 0.85x
Northamptonshire 23 1.08x
Wigtownshire 22 7.29x
West Lothian 21 6.14x
Kinross-shire 20 34.83x
Durham 19 0.28x
Argyllshire 18 2.85x
Shropshire 18 0.92x
Perthshire 16 1.57x
Worcestershire 16 0.54x
Berkshire 15 0.88x
Derbyshire 15 0.42x
Shetland 14 6.03x
Dorset 13 0.87x
Ayrshire 12 0.71x
Glamorgan 12 0.30x
Herefordshire 12 1.29x
Sussex 12 0.31x
Aberdeenshire 11 0.52x
Monmouthshire 11 0.67x
Cheshire 10 0.20x
Dunbartonshire 10 1.64x
Inverness-shire 10 1.47x
Montgomeryshire 10 1.92x
Peeblesshire 10 9.36x
Berwickshire 9 3.27x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.55x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.35x
Wiltshire 5 0.25x
Brecknockshire 4 0.88x
Cornwall 4 0.16x
Nairnshire 3 4.33x
Oxfordshire 3 0.21x
Royal Navy 3 1.11x
Clackmannanshire 2 1.07x
Isle of Man 2 0.47x
Banffshire 1 0.21x
Bedfordshire 1 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Cumberland 1 0.05x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.20x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Kincardineshire 1 0.36x
Roxburghshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Duffus in Morayshire leads with 122 Mores recorded in 1881 and an index of 392.16x.

Place Total Index
Duffus 122 392.16x
Wick 106 105.49x
Barony 77 4.14x
Govan 60 3.30x
New Monkland 54 24.86x
Dysart 53 58.52x
Islington London 44 2.00x
Dundee 32 4.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 32 2.61x
Glasgow 27 2.07x
Paddington London 27 3.23x
St Pancras London 25 1.37x
Lambeth 24 1.21x
Glasserton 22 235.04x
Aston 19 1.20x
Newington 18 2.14x
Portmoak 18 220.32x
Birmingham 17 0.89x
Dalziel 17 21.51x
Dunoon Kilmun 17 34.47x
Lasswade 17 24.43x
Leslie 17 49.91x
Abbey 15 5.58x
Hackney London 15 1.18x
Hamilton 14 6.83x
Maryhill 14 9.73x
Burntisland 13 34.57x
Leicester St Mary 13 6.39x
Crediton 12 26.78x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 2.62x
Wrangle 12 132.60x
Arbroath 11 15.77x
Beckington 11 152.57x
Cupar 11 18.81x
Great Grimsby 11 4.77x
Rock 11 547.26x
Shoreditch London 11 1.12x
West Ham 11 1.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 2.28x
Ayr 10 12.46x
Cambusnethan 10 6.13x
Cramlington 10 22.39x
Forfar 10 8.77x
Havering 10 289.86x
Nottingham St Mary 10 1.26x
Portsea 10 1.10x
Ratcliffe London 10 7.97x
South Leith 10 2.92x
Tarbat 10 67.80x
Yell Mid 10 130.38x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.91x
Cromarty 9 53.89x
Debden 9 141.73x
Edinburgh St Marys 9 15.21x
Hedenham 9 410.96x
Limehouse London 9 3.61x
Port Of Monteith 9 98.15x
West Derby 9 1.14x
Bonhill 8 8.16x
Dunse 8 30.66x
Hammersmith London 8 1.43x
Hindley 8 6.96x
Liberton 8 17.03x
Liff Benvie 8 2.50x
Rotherhithe 8 2.85x
Roydon In Guiltcross 8 168.07x
St Andrews 8 13.07x
Stokenham 8 60.06x
Uphall 8 21.27x
West Greenock 8 2.53x
Bedworth 7 16.74x
Bishopwearmouth 7 1.21x
Churchstoke 7 71.28x
Gargunnock 7 128.68x
Kensington London 7 0.55x
Old Monkland 7 2.40x
Rothwell 7 32.62x
St Botolph Aldgate 7 22.57x
St Giles On The Heath 7 325.58x
Tudhoe 7 11.84x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 80
William 79
Thomas 38
James 34
George 30
Henry 26
Charles 24
Edward 24
Robert 20
Richard 16
Alfred 12
Arthur 10
Joseph 10
Walter 10
Samuel 9
Daniel 8
Frederick 8
Alexander 7
David 6
Fred 6
Albert 5
Andrew 5
Edwin 5
Wm. 5
Francis 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Enoch 3
Harry 3
Henery 3
Isaac 3
Mark 3
Peter 3
Edgar 2
Edmond 2
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Nicholas 2
Robt. 2
Tom 2
Willie 2
Willm. 2
Carle 1
Chas 1
Edmund 1
Elexander 1
Emile 1
Hubert 1
Hy. 1
Wm.Rd.J. 1

FAQ

More surname: questions and answers

How common was the More surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,366 people were recorded with the More surname. That placed it at #1,881 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the More surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,820 in 2016. That gives More a modern rank of #3,485.

What does the More surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French "maur" meaning dark-skinned, or referring to someone living near a moor.

What does the More map show?

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