NameCensus.

UK surname

Morfitt

A variant spelling of the English surname "Moffat," derived from the Scottish town of that name.

In the 1881 census there were 216 people recorded with the Morfitt surname, ranking it #12,222 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 452, ranked #10,768, up from #12,222 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Hull Holy Trinity and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morfitt is 455 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 109.3%.

1881 census count

216

Ranked #12,222

Modern count

452

2016, ranked #10,768

Peak year

2010

455 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morfitt had 216 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,222 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016, ranked #10,768.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 304 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Morfitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morfitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morfitt 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 216 #12,222
1891 historical 237 #13,242
1901 historical 268 #12,553
1911 historical 304 #11,342
1997 modern 403 #10,955
1998 modern 411 #11,122
1999 modern 422 #10,999
2000 modern 411 #11,185
2001 modern 404 #11,142
2002 modern 419 #11,059
2003 modern 418 #10,896
2004 modern 416 #10,963
2005 modern 414 #10,899
2006 modern 415 #10,928
2007 modern 414 #11,072
2008 modern 442 #10,573
2009 modern 449 #10,690
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 435 #11,066
2012 modern 438 #10,896
2013 modern 449 #10,850
2014 modern 449 #10,926
2015 modern 453 #10,769
2016 modern 452 #10,768

Geography

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Where Morfitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Hull Holy Trinity, Manchester, Sheffield and Sculcoates. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull and Barnsley. 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 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
4 Kingston upon Hull 024 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morfitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morfitt

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Morfitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Morfitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Morfitt 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

Morfitt is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morfitt 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 Morfitt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Morfitt

The surname Morfitt is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "mor" and "fyht," which together mean "moor fighter" or "one who fights on the moors." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who fought in battles or skirmishes on the moorlands of northern England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, where several variations of the spelling were found, including Morfyt, Morfitt, and Murfitt. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Morfitt, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across northern England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Durham. Notable individuals from this period include William Morfitt, who was christened in Grinton, Yorkshire, in 1588, and Edward Morfitt, who was born in Darlington, Durham, in 1612.

In the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Wales. One notable bearer was Robert Morfitt, a merchant from Newcastle upon Tyne, who was born in 1724 and died in 1798.

The 19th century saw the name being carried to other parts of the world by British emigrants. One such individual was John Morfitt, who was born in Sunderland, England, in 1818 and later emigrated to Australia, where he became a prominent settler and businessman.

Another notable figure was Sir William Morfitt, a British civil servant and diplomat who was born in 1834 and served as the British Consul-General in Egypt from 1880 to 1889.

In more recent times, the name has been borne by individuals such as Robert Morfitt, an English artist and illustrator who was born in 1915 and is known for his work in children's books, and Wendy Morfitt, a British actress and writer who was born in 1942 and appeared in several television shows and films in the 1960s and 1970s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morfitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morfitt 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 188 Morfitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.92x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 188 8.92x
Lancashire 10 0.40x
Surrey 9 0.87x
Kent 3 0.41x
Middlesex 3 0.14x
Isle of Man 2 5.06x
Lincolnshire 2 0.59x
Huntingdonshire 1 2.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton in Yorkshire leads with 24 Morfitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1000.00x.

Place Total Index
Sutton 24 1000.00x
Beverley St Mary 16 519.48x
Horsforth 15 324.68x
Brightside Bierlow 13 31.45x
Holy Trinity 13 25.65x
Nether Hallam 13 45.60x
Drypool 9 278.64x
Howden Belby 9 30000.00x
Manchester 9 7.93x
Sheffield 9 13.41x
Goole 7 198.30x
Leeds 7 5.88x
Ecclesfield 6 38.84x
Swinefleet 6 659.34x
Battersea 5 6.39x
Airmyn 4 1111.11x
Sculcoates 4 11.97x
Sutton Stoneferry 4 66.34x
Yeadon 4 84.03x
Hook 3 64.66x
Newington 3 3.82x
Reedness 3 833.33x
Tonbridge 3 11.46x
Beverley St Martin 2 56.82x
Bromby 2 1333.33x
Douglas 2 350.88x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 14.75x
Ilkley 2 58.14x
Newland 2 1000.00x
Snaith Cowick 2 158.73x
Southcoates 2 17.09x
Cottingham 1 22.03x
East Ardsley 1 54.95x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.33x
Horton In Bradford 1 3.04x
Lambeth 1 0.54x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 1 18.80x
Oswaldtwistle 1 11.21x
Paddington London 1 1.28x
Rotherham 1 8.42x
South Dalton 1 526.32x
St Luke London 1 2.93x
St Marylebone London 1 0.88x
Toseland 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 17
James 12
Thomas 9
William 8
George 5
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Edward 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Herbert 2
Matthew 2
Samuel 2
Verdon 2
Wm. 2
Aaron 1
Alfred 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Aurthur 1
Beaumont 1
Benjn.S. 1
Charles 1
Claudius 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Harvey 1
Seth 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Morfitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morfitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 216 people were recorded with the Morfitt surname. That placed it at #12,222 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morfitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016. That gives Morfitt a modern rank of #10,768.

What does the Morfitt surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname "Moffat," derived from the Scottish town of that name.

What does the Morfitt map show?

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