NameCensus.

UK surname

Morford

Derived from a place name meaning "moor ford," referring to a ford crossing a marsh or boggy area.

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Morford surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lewisham, London parishes and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Shepway and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morford is 182 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.5%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1911

182 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morford had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 182 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morford surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morford 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 131 #17,052
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 116 #21,766
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 182 #15,859
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 148 #21,664
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 152 #23,101
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Morfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lewisham, London parishes, St Werburgh, Merthyr Tydfil and Beaconsfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Shepway and South Norfolk. 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 Lewisham London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Beaconsfield Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 048 Cornwall
2 Shepway 006 Shepway
3 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
4 Cornwall 024 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 016 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morford

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Morford 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

Morford is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morford 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 Morford 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 Morford, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Morford

The surname Morford originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning moor or marsh and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a marshy area with a ford or shallow crossing.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Morford in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176. Variations of the spelling included Morforde, Moreford, and Morforth. It is possible that the name may have been a locational surname, referring to a specific place named Morford, though no such place has been definitively identified.

In the 13th century, the name Morford was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of the family in that region. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like record compiled in England between 1274 and 1279.

One notable individual with the surname Morford was John Morford, a prominent merchant and alderman of the city of London in the early 15th century. Records show that he was active in trade and civic affairs between the years 1420 and 1450.

Another early bearer of the name was William Morford, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1487. These rolls were legal records documenting the proceedings of the manorial court.

In the 16th century, the name Morford appeared in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. A baptismal record from 1562 lists the name of a child named Robert Morford.

One of the earliest known instances of the name in America can be traced back to Richard Morford, who was born in England around 1620 and later settled in Long Island, New York. He is considered an early ancestor of many Morfords in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname Morford include:

1. Thomas Morford (1741-1809), a prominent merchant and landowner in New Jersey. 2. John Morford (1771-1838), an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. 3. Elizabeth Morford (1847-1925), an early American educator and advocate for women's rights. 4. Charles Morford (1880-1954), an English novelist and playwright known for his works set in the Regency era. 5. Wilbur Morford (1909-1987), an American science fiction author and editor who contributed significantly to the genre's development in the mid-20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morford 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. Kent leads with 46 Morfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.53x.

County Total Index
Kent 46 15.53x
Middlesex 17 1.96x
Buckinghamshire 6 11.44x
Surrey 6 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 3 2.56x
Cornwall 2 2.04x
Essex 2 1.17x
Lincolnshire 2 1.44x
Durham 1 0.39x
Gloucestershire 1 0.59x
Leicestershire 1 1.04x
Royal Navy 1 9.67x
Sussex 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Folkestone in Kent leads with 32 Morfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 557.49x.

Place Total Index
Folkestone 32 557.49x
Staines 12 875.91x
Lewisham 10 63.33x
Beaconsfield 6 1224.49x
Newington 6 18.71x
Nottingham St Mary 3 9.91x
Westerham 3 441.18x
Morval 2 1000.00x
Twickenham 2 53.76x
Barham 1 333.33x
Bishopwearmouth 1 4.51x
Bitton Oldland 1 57.47x
Colchester St Mary At 1 163.93x
East Grinstead 1 48.31x
Leicester St Margaret 1 4.26x
Romford 1 36.90x
Royal Navy 1 11.31x
St Martin Lincoln 1 77.52x
St Marylebone London 1 2.16x
Stoke Newington London 1 14.79x
Whaplode Drove 1 434.78x
Willesden 1 12.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Mary 3
Celina 2
Elizath. 2
Jane 2
Rhoda 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Dolby 1
Elizebth 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Harriett 1
Hellen 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laurie 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Susette 1
Wilhemina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 5
Frederick 4
James 4
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Douglas 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Griffiths 1
H.James 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jas.R. 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Rupert 1
Spencer 1
Thos. 1
W.H. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Morford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Morford surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Morford a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Morford surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "moor ford," referring to a ford crossing a marsh or boggy area.

What does the Morford map show?

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