NameCensus.

UK surname

Moreton

A locational surname derived from various places called Moreton in England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,254 people recorded with the Moreton surname, ranking it #1,978 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,423, ranked #1,993, down from #1,978 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Moreton is 3,631 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.9%.

1881 census count

2,254

Ranked #1,978

Modern count

3,423

2016, ranked #1,993

Peak year

2000

3,631 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Moreton had 2,254 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,978 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,423 in 2016, ranked #1,993.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,302 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Moreton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Moreton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Moreton 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 1,589 #1,816
1861 historical 1,521 #1,858
1881 historical 2,254 #1,978
1891 historical 2,465 #1,917
1901 historical 2,931 #1,908
1911 historical 3,302 #1,581
1997 modern 3,349 #1,926
1998 modern 3,595 #1,885
1999 modern 3,628 #1,873
2000 modern 3,631 #1,871
2001 modern 3,505 #1,886
2002 modern 3,584 #1,892
2003 modern 3,501 #1,885
2004 modern 3,485 #1,900
2005 modern 3,396 #1,917
2006 modern 3,389 #1,917
2007 modern 3,423 #1,916
2008 modern 3,415 #1,944
2009 modern 3,490 #1,948
2010 modern 3,555 #1,957
2011 modern 3,513 #1,955
2012 modern 3,481 #1,939
2013 modern 3,528 #1,952
2014 modern 3,526 #1,958
2015 modern 3,485 #1,957
2016 modern 3,423 #1,993

Geography

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Where Moretons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington, Chilvers Coton and Nuneaton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Powys and South Staffordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
4 Chilvers Coton Warwickshire
5 Nuneaton Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 001 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 013 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 Powys 001 Powys
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 003 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 South Staffordshire 014 South Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Moreton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Moreton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Moreton, 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 Moreton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Moreton 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Moreton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Moreton is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Moreton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Moreton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Moreton

The surname Moreton is of English origin, derived from the place name Moreton, which is found in several counties across England, including Cheshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire. The place name is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "marsh" or "moor" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Moreton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mortone" in reference to landholdings in various locations across England. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

During the medieval period, the surname Moreton was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cheshire and Shropshire. Notable historical figures bearing this name include Sir William Moreton (c. 1460-1516), a prominent landowner and military commander who served under King Henry VIII and participated in the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.

Another significant figure was Andrew Moreton (c. 1620-1699), an English Puritan minister and religious writer who served as the rector of Ringwood in Hampshire. He was known for his work "The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained," published in 1679.

In the 18th century, John Moreton (1728-1799) was a renowned English horticulturist and botanist. He is credited with introducing several plant species to Britain, including the Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the black locust tree.

Moving into the 19th century, we find John Moreton (1783-1863), an English architect and surveyor who worked extensively in the county of Lancashire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Mechanics' Institute in Manchester.

Another notable figure was Henry Moreton (1836-1908), a British colonial administrator and Governor of British Guiana from 1886 to 1892. He played a significant role in the development of the colony during his tenure.

The surname Moreton has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Moreton Corbet and Moreton Jeffries in Shropshire, Moreton in Marsh in Gloucestershire, and Moreton in Wirral in Cheshire. These place names often reflected the ownership or association of the Moreton family with those particular locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Moreton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Moreton 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. Staffordshire leads with 465 Moretons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.30x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 465 6.30x
Warwickshire 290 5.26x
Cheshire 226 4.68x
Lancashire 186 0.72x
Middlesex 120 0.55x
Derbyshire 111 3.24x
Surrey 93 0.87x
Gloucestershire 82 1.91x
Hampshire 79 1.76x
Worcestershire 75 2.63x
Buckinghamshire 58 4.39x
Yorkshire 47 0.22x
Shropshire 45 2.38x
Herefordshire 41 4.57x
Kent 40 0.54x
Monmouthshire 28 1.77x
Devon 24 0.53x
Somerset 24 0.68x
Glamorgan 21 0.55x
Berkshire 19 1.16x
Cornwall 19 0.77x
Essex 19 0.44x
Oxfordshire 19 1.41x
Denbighshire 16 1.94x
Leicestershire 16 0.66x
Lincolnshire 10 0.29x
Montgomeryshire 10 2.00x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.34x
Hertfordshire 7 0.46x
Northamptonshire 7 0.34x
Sussex 7 0.19x
Wiltshire 6 0.31x
Anglesey 5 1.29x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.57x
Dorset 3 0.21x
Bedfordshire 2 0.18x
Flintshire 2 0.34x
Cardiganshire 1 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 73 Moretons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.33x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 73 9.33x
Stafford St Mary 64 61.27x
Nuneaton 61 95.51x
Chilvers Coton 58 255.84x
Birmingham 52 2.83x
Aston 49 3.23x
Wolverhampton 40 7.05x
Lambeth 34 1.78x
Wycombe 32 32.48x
Prestwich 25 38.63x
Manchester 24 2.06x
Bedminster 23 6.96x
Bitton Oldland 23 52.48x
Newcastle Under Lyme 23 17.62x
Burslem 21 9.93x
St Marylebone London 21 1.80x
Stourbridge 21 28.59x
Bristol St George 19 9.58x
Derby St Werburgh 18 9.11x
Brewood 17 79.92x
Caverswall 17 44.32x
West Derby 17 2.24x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 17 39.58x
Wolstanton 17 7.59x
Derby St Alkmund 16 15.60x
Camberwell 15 1.07x
Duffield 15 55.60x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 6.94x
Barrow In Furness 14 3.97x
Edgbaston 14 8.19x
Everton 14 1.69x
Islington London 14 0.66x
Kings Norton 14 5.47x
Kingswinford 14 5.23x
Lower Llanvrechva 14 90.26x
Mancetter 14 88.27x
Castle Church 13 29.31x
Newington 13 1.61x
Smallthorne 13 47.46x
Swadlincote 13 343.01x
Weaverham Cum Milton 13 101.88x
Chelsea London 12 1.82x
Handsworth 12 6.60x
Warnford 12 413.79x
Clapham 11 4.03x
Clase 11 7.77x
Darlaston 11 10.79x
New Alresford 11 94.75x
Stoke Damerel 11 3.45x
West Tisted 11 839.69x
Wollaston 11 60.74x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.05x
Chester St John Baptist 10 11.53x
Derby All Sts 10 34.98x
East Wickham 10 113.12x
Mucklestone 10 141.24x
Rugby 10 13.41x
Thame 10 40.73x
Tranmere 10 5.64x
West Bromwich 10 2.37x
Wombwell 10 15.83x
Kinderton Cum Hulme 9 221.67x
Mangotsfield 9 21.06x
Salford 9 1.18x
Shoreditch London 9 0.95x
Sturston 9 159.01x
Acton In Northwich 8 178.97x
Great Gonerby 8 88.89x
Haslington 8 58.95x
Helston 8 31.09x
Hovingham 8 178.17x
Kirkdale 8 1.83x
Little Canfield 8 361.99x
Liverpool 8 0.51x
Newton Abbot St Mary 8 20.96x
St Pancras London 8 0.45x
Tipton 8 3.54x
Cookham 7 13.69x
Dunham Massey 7 47.33x
Leominster 7 18.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 144
Elizabeth 83
Sarah 82
Ann 59
Emma 47
Jane 40
Alice 33
Ellen 32
Annie 29
Eliza 27
Hannah 26
Martha 23
Florence 17
Harriet 16
Margaret 16
Emily 15
Caroline 14
Fanny 14
Louisa 14
Anne 13
Edith 13
Lucy 13
Maria 13
Charlotte 11
Rose 11
Ada 10
Agnes 10
Clara 9
Susan 9
Amy 8
Frances 8
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Kate 7
Lydia 7
Catherine 6
Elizth. 6
Harriett 6
Bertha 5
Ethel 5
Julia 5
Rebecca 5
Anna 4
Beatrice 4
Betsy 4
Laura 4
Matilda 4
May 4
Minnie 4
Rhoda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 126
John 118
Thomas 104
George 78
Henry 54
Charles 46
James 46
Joseph 44
Edward 36
Alfred 30
Albert 24
Samuel 22
Frederick 20
Arthur 19
Ernest 18
Harry 18
Richard 15
David 13
Robert 13
Edwin 12
Isaac 11
Herbert 10
Walter 9
Francis 8
Benjamin 7
Frank 7
Job 5
Leonard 5
Aaron 4
Daniel 4
Edwd. 4
Eli 4
Geo. 4
Ralph 4
Reuben 4
Wm. 4
Augustus 3
Fredrick 3
Jno. 3
Joshua 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Saml. 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Chas. 2
Evan 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Moses 2

FAQ

Moreton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Moreton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,254 people were recorded with the Moreton surname. That placed it at #1,978 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Moreton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,423 in 2016. That gives Moreton a modern rank of #1,993.

What does the Moreton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from various places called Moreton in England.

What does the Moreton map show?

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