NameCensus.

UK surname

Morfoot

An English surname of uncertain meaning, perhaps descriptive of someone with large feet.

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Morfoot surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Breckland and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morfoot is 108 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

2013

108 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morfoot had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 77 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morfoot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morfoot surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morfoot 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 65 #28,660
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 86 #28,876
1998 modern 88 #29,131
1999 modern 89 #29,168
2000 modern 78 #30,361
2001 modern 82 #29,714
2002 modern 89 #29,428
2003 modern 83 #30,088
2004 modern 87 #29,897
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Morfoots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Breckland, Darlington and Bristol. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 007 Copeland
2 Copeland 006 Copeland
3 Breckland 010 Breckland
4 Darlington 004 Darlington
5 Bristol 017 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morfoot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morfoot

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

Morfoot is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morfoot falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Morfoot

The surname Morfoot originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" or "marsh" and "fot" meaning "foot." This suggests the name was initially given to someone who resided near a marshy or swampy area.

Early records show variations of the spelling, such as "Morfeyt," "Murfet," and "Murfitt," appearing in various counties across England. One of the earliest known references is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Robert Murfet.

In the 13th century, the surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, listing a William Murfet. This suggests the name was well-established in different regions of England by this time.

Notable bearers of the Morfoot surname include Sir John Morfoot, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1370. Another early example is William Morfoot, born around 1425 in Staffordshire, who served as a member of parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1449.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in several parish records, such as the baptism of Jane Morfoot in 1568 at St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire. In the same century, a Richard Morfoot was recorded as a landowner in the Hertfordshire Visitation of 1572.

Moving into the 17th century, the Morfoot surname can be found in various historical documents, including the will of Thomas Morfoot, a yeoman from Worcestershire, dated 1612. Additionally, a John Morfoot was born in 1638 in Oxfordshire and later became a renowned scholar and fellow of New College, Oxford.

Other notable individuals with the Morfoot surname include Captain William Morfoot, born in 1765 in Berkshire, who served in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. In the 19th century, Mary Morfoot, born in 1825 in Somerset, was a prominent activist for women's rights and suffrage.

These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence of the Morfoot surname across various regions of England, with bearers occupying diverse roles and professions throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morfoot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morfoot 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 27 Morfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.59x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 27 5.59x
Lincolnshire 9 11.54x
Durham 6 4.14x
Norfolk 4 5.34x
Derbyshire 1 1.31x
Middlesex 1 0.21x
Nairnshire 1 67.11x
Surrey 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Easingwold in Yorkshire leads with 8 Morfoots recorded in 1881 and an index of 2352.94x.

Place Total Index
Easingwold 8 2352.94x
Moulton 8 2105.26x
Darlington 6 107.14x
Rudston 5 5000.00x
Ruswarp 5 925.93x
Thornborough 5 0.00x
Hilgay 4 1428.57x
Strensall 3 4285.71x
Auldearn 1 454.55x
Bermondsey 1 6.89x
Smisby 1 2000.00x
Westminster St James 1 19.96x
Whaplode 1 370.37x
Whitby 1 61.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 5
John 4
James 3
Ben 1
Benjamin 1
Cook 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
George 1
Henry 1
Major 1
Quinton 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Morfoot households.

FAQ

Morfoot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morfoot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Morfoot surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morfoot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Morfoot a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Morfoot surname mean?

An English surname of uncertain meaning, perhaps descriptive of someone with large feet.

What does the Morfoot map show?

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