UK surname
A German surname meaning "morning" or "dawn".
In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Morgen surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #28,137 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Willesden, Lewisham and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morgen is 130 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 28.2%.
1881 census count
39
Ranked #28,137
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1861
130 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Morgen surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Morgen surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 67 | #21,440 |
| 1861 | historical | 130 | #17,164 |
| 1881 | historical | 39 | #28,137 |
| 1891 | historical | 110 | #22,557 |
| 1901 | historical | 23 | #31,466 |
| 1911 | historical | 8 | #32,903 |
| 1997 | modern | 11 | #36,912 |
| 1998 | modern | 12 | #36,790 |
| 1999 | modern | 9 | #37,217 |
| 2000 | modern | 11 | #36,879 |
| 2001 | modern | 11 | #36,727 |
| 2002 | modern | 11 | #36,780 |
| 2003 | modern | 9 | #37,101 |
| 2004 | modern | 12 | #36,835 |
| 2005 | modern | 14 | #36,730 |
| 2006 | modern | 19 | #36,323 |
| 2007 | modern | 21 | #36,290 |
| 2008 | modern | 25 | #36,072 |
| 2009 | modern | 23 | #36,313 |
| 2010 | modern | 24 | #36,341 |
| 2011 | modern | 19 | #36,668 |
| 2012 | modern | 21 | #36,490 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 23 | #36,417 |
| 2015 | modern | 25 | #36,297 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Willesden, Lewisham, Wolstanton, London parishes and Llangattock Llingoed. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willesden | Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts) |
| 2 | Lewisham | London (South Districts) |
| 3 | Wolstanton | Staffordshire |
| 4 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 5 | Llangattock Llingoed | Monmouthshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Morgen surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Morgen, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Morgen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Morgen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Morgen is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Morgen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Morgen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Morgen is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "morgen," which means "morning" or "dawn." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was an early riser or worked in the mornings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Morgen surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain Johannes Morgen was mentioned in a document dated 1392. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 14th century in the German region.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various German church records and registers. For example, a baptismal record from 1572 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber mentions the birth of a child named Hans Morgen.
The Morgen surname is also found in some historical documents from the Netherlands, where it may have been adopted by German immigrants or adapted from the Dutch word "morgen," which means "morning" or "measure of land."
One notable figure with the surname Morgen was Johann Morgen, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1619 in Braunschweig. He made significant contributions to the calculation of planetary orbits and the study of eclipses.
Another individual with this surname was Christian Morgen, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1619 to 1678. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and authored several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 19th century, Johann Morgen (1805-1882) was a German painter known for his landscape and genre paintings, many of which depicted scenes from the Black Forest region.
Another notable bearer of the Morgen surname was Friedrich Morgen (1890-1970), a German architect who designed several buildings in the Bauhaus style, including the Haus am Horn in Weimar.
Furthermore, the Morgen surname can be found in the records of the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name may have been present in England as early as the 11th century, possibly brought by German settlers or merchants.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morgen surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 9 Morgens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.01x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Staffordshire | 9 | 7.01x |
| Essex | 6 | 7.99x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 11.70x |
| Middlesex | 4 | 1.05x |
| Aberdeenshire | 2 | 5.68x |
| Somerset | 2 | 3.27x |
| Sussex | 2 | 3.12x |
| Yorkshire | 2 | 0.53x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 1.19x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 1.68x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.22x |
| Norfolk | 1 | 1.71x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 1.77x |
| Surrey | 1 | 0.54x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Skegby in Nottinghamshire leads with 6 Morgens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1935.48x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Skegby | 6 | 1935.48x |
| West Ham | 6 | 36.19x |
| Wolstanton Chesterton | 6 | 909.09x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 3 | 22.03x |
| Ellon | 2 | 416.67x |
| Rawdon | 2 | 454.55x |
| St George Bloomsbury | 2 | 91.74x |
| Bolsover | 1 | 333.33x |
| Chard | 1 | 135.14x |
| Clapham | 1 | 21.01x |
| Frome | 1 | 68.49x |
| Great Yarmouth | 1 | 20.66x |
| Handforth | 1 | 1000.00x |
| Lancing | 1 | 555.56x |
| Mountfield | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Newcastle On Tyne | 1 | 1666.67x |
| St Andrew Holborn | 1 | 77.52x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 3.27x |
| Warton With Lindeth | 1 | 526.32x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Morgen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Morgen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Morgen households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 10 |
| Coal Miner | 2 |
| Cook Domestic Serv | 2 |
| Schoolmistress | 2 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Engine Fitter | 1 |
| Fireman | 1 |
| Iron Works Laborer | 1 |
| Railway Engine Driver | 1 |
| S M S Nurse Assistant | 1 |
| Stone Mason Pauper | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Morgen surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Morgen a modern rank of #36,125.
A German surname meaning "morning" or "dawn".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Morgen bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.