NameCensus.

UK surname

Morgans

A topographic surname derived from the Welsh word "mor" meaning sea and "gân" meaning edge or border.

In the 1881 census there were 6,510 people recorded with the Morgans surname, ranking it #654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,691, ranked #3,697, down from #654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Caron or Tref-Garon and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morgans is 6,510 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 74.0%.

1881 census count

6,510

Ranked #654

Modern count

1,691

2016, ranked #3,697

Peak year

1881

6,510 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morgans had 6,510 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,691 in 2016, ranked #3,697.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,510 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morgans surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morgans surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morgans 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 6,043 #459
1861 historical 6,187 #452
1881 historical 6,510 #654
1891 historical 6,032 #773
1901 historical 5,871 #947
1911 historical 5,335 #979
1997 modern 1,695 #3,522
1998 modern 1,725 #3,590
1999 modern 1,721 #3,621
2000 modern 1,710 #3,624
2001 modern 1,671 #3,628
2002 modern 1,686 #3,669
2003 modern 1,651 #3,668
2004 modern 1,642 #3,683
2005 modern 1,617 #3,703
2006 modern 1,614 #3,712
2007 modern 1,639 #3,697
2008 modern 1,641 #3,718
2009 modern 1,690 #3,696
2010 modern 1,688 #3,785
2011 modern 1,678 #3,756
2012 modern 1,675 #3,695
2013 modern 1,710 #3,687
2014 modern 1,709 #3,698
2015 modern 1,694 #3,700
2016 modern 1,691 #3,697

Geography

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Where Morgans' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Caron or Tref-Garon, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Caron or Tref-Garon Cardiganshire
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Aberdare Glamorganshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
2 Ceredigion 008 Ceredigion
3 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
4 Ceredigion 005 Ceredigion
5 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morgans

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morgans

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

Morgans is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morgans 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 Morgans is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Morgans

The surname Morgans has its origins in the Welsh language, deriving from the word 'mor' meaning 'sea' and 'gân' meaning 'born'. It is believed to have emerged in the early medieval period in Wales, particularly in the regions of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Morgen'. This reference suggests that the name had already established itself in parts of Wales and the bordering English counties by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name began to spread more widely across Wales and into other parts of England. Records from this period show variations in spelling, such as 'Morganis', 'Morgaynes', and 'Morgon'.

The name Morgans has been associated with several notable historical figures. One of the earliest was Sir Morgan ap Meredith (c.1270-1330), a Welsh landowner and military leader who played a significant role in the Glyndŵr Rising against the English in the early 14th century.

Another prominent bearer of the name was William Morgan (c.1545-1604), the Welsh bishop and scholar who translated the Bible into Welsh, making it accessible to a wider audience in Wales for the first time.

In the 17th century, Sir Edward Morgan (1616-1679) was a Welsh-born English politician and military commander who served as a Member of Parliament and fought for the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War.

The 18th century saw the rise of George Cadogan Morgan (1754-1798), a Welsh-born British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

A more recent figure with the surname Morgans was Sir Thomas Mordaunt Morgans (1834-1909), a Welsh-born British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and later became a Member of Parliament.

Throughout its history, the surname Morgans has been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Margam, Morganstown, and Morgarw, further reflecting its Welsh roots and geographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morgans families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morgans 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. Glamorgan leads with 1,733 Morgans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.79x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 1,733 15.79x
Cardiganshire 1,391 90.45x
Carmarthenshire 1,360 51.18x
Pembrokeshire 693 34.59x
Brecknockshire 342 27.13x
Montgomeryshire 308 21.32x
Monmouthshire 138 3.03x
Radnorshire 134 26.34x
Merionethshire 97 8.41x
Caernarfonshire 54 2.12x
Middlesex 35 0.06x
Kent 33 0.15x
Lancashire 23 0.03x
Shropshire 21 0.39x
Durham 19 0.10x
Anglesey 11 0.98x
Yorkshire 11 0.02x
Denbighshire 10 0.42x
Gloucestershire 9 0.07x
Flintshire 7 0.41x
Cheshire 6 0.04x
Surrey 5 0.02x
Worcestershire 5 0.06x
Somerset 3 0.03x
Devon 2 0.02x
Essex 2 0.02x
Hampshire 2 0.02x
Royal Navy 2 0.27x
Suffolk 2 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Cumberland 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Warwickshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan leads with 305 Morgans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.91x.

Place Total Index
Merthyr Tydfil 305 28.91x
Ystradyfodwg 294 30.53x
Aberdare 231 30.65x
Llanelly 213 35.59x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 171 316.43x
Llandilo Fawr 111 93.70x
Caron Ys Clawdd 108 288.92x
Bedwellty 107 13.30x
Swansea Town 102 11.33x
Llangadock 91 124.23x
Clase 84 20.58x
Trefeirig 81 338.49x
Aberystwith 73 55.14x
Lower Ystradgynlais 69 88.71x
Cilycwm 57 242.35x
Lledrod Lower 57 448.47x
Neath Upper 57 198.74x
Llanbadarn Trefeglwys 56 303.19x
Llanedy 56 111.89x
Pembrey 56 45.83x
Pencarreg 51 199.30x
Conwil Cayo 50 116.96x
Gwnnws Lower 48 493.32x
Myddfai 48 359.82x
Llansant Ffraid 47 173.95x
Llanrhystyd Haminiog 46 269.16x
Llangeitho 45 312.07x
Pembroke St Mary 45 17.44x
Llangunider 43 54.76x
Llanguick 42 21.36x
Carmarthen St Peter 41 18.05x
Llanbyther 41 150.07x
St Issells 39 92.07x
Loughor 37 63.48x
Llywel 35 128.49x
Llanidloes 34 31.75x
Llanbadarn Fawr 33 162.00x
Llandyfodwg 33 53.02x
Festiniog 32 13.15x
Llanfynydd 32 145.52x
Llangwm 32 169.67x
Upper Ystradgynlais 32 307.69x
Llanarthney 31 77.35x
Llanbadarn Fawr 31 235.03x
Cwmdauddwr 30 182.48x
Neath 30 13.43x
Steynton 30 46.32x
Llandingat 29 48.03x
Llansamlet Lower 29 29.18x
Swansea Higher 29 25.36x
Yspytty Ystwyth 29 143.42x
Gelligaer 28 11.17x
Llangyfelach 28 68.11x
Michaelstone Super Avon 28 23.56x
Roch 28 242.01x
Llanwonno 27 6.85x
Merthyr Cynog 27 170.24x
Nantcwnlle 27 169.28x
Llanychaiarn 26 197.87x
Llanfihangel Ar Arth 25 59.10x
Cilcennin 24 220.18x
Llangendeirne 24 48.71x
Llannon 24 65.88x
Llanrhidian Higher 24 34.42x
Llansawel 24 116.67x
Coedfrank 23 30.24x
Gwynfil 23 318.12x
Llandewy Ystradenny 23 179.13x
Llangennech 23 54.04x
St Nicholas 23 451.87x
Burton 22 109.13x
Gorwydd 22 146.08x
Machynlleth 22 42.18x
Narberth South 22 149.46x
Tref Eglwys 22 55.82x
Cardigan St Mary 21 35.64x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 21 52.37x
Llandefeilog 21 84.41x
Llanfabon 21 36.58x
Llantwit Lower 21 21.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 701
Elizabeth 357
Margaret 320
Jane 230
Sarah 223
Ann 208
Anne 172
Hannah 98
Catherine 94
Martha 79
Rachel 50
Eliza 41
Eleanor 35
Margret 33
Ellen 31
Esther 28
Annie 26
Gwen 22
Gwenllian 22
Maria 20
Alice 17
Cathrine 15
Harriet 14
Elinor 13
Elizth. 11
Lizzie 11
Margt. 11
Charlotte 10
Frances 10
Phebe 10
Emily 9
Lydia 9
Agnes 8
Magdalen 8
Margeret 8
Ruth 8
Edith 7
Emma 7
Fanny 7
Jennet 7
Margaretta 7
Rachael 7
Caroline 6
Dinah 6
Kate 6
Anna 5
Letitia 5
Rebecca 5
Sophia 5
Susan 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 603
David 419
Thomas 366
William 353
Morgan 195
Evan 120
James 103
Edward 80
Daniel 73
Richard 63
Henry 58
George 51
Rees 41
Joseph 37
Benjamin 32
Samuel 28
Lewis 27
Charles 22
Isaac 21
Robert 18
Thos. 17
Griffith 12
Hugh 12
Arthur 11
Enoch 11
Phillip 11
Jenkin 10
Llewellyn 10
Timothy 9
Moses 8
Abraham 7
Alfred 7
Dd. 7
Francis 7
Frederick 7
Stephen 7
Edwin 6
Gwilym 5
Howell 5
Josiah 5
Tom 5
Walter 5
Willie 5
Dan 4
Elias 4
Herbert 4
Ivor 4
Owen 4
Peter 4
Richd. 4

FAQ

Morgans surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morgans surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,510 people were recorded with the Morgans surname. That placed it at #654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morgans surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,691 in 2016. That gives Morgans a modern rank of #3,697.

What does the Morgans surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from the Welsh word "mor" meaning sea and "gân" meaning edge or border.

What does the Morgans map show?

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