NameCensus.

UK surname

Morphett

In the 1881 census there were 106 people recorded with the Morphett surname, ranking it #19,083 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #19,083 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Frittenden, London parishes and Caple, Tudeley, Pembury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Canterbury, Bedford and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morphett is 156 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.2%.

1881 census count

106

Ranked #19,083

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

1901

156 bearers

Map years

4

1881 to 1911

Key insights

  • Morphett had 106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,083 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morphett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morphett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morphett 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 106 #19,083
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 94 #28,435
1999 modern 95 #28,465
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 107 #26,328
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 81 #30,740
2006 modern 77 #31,510
2007 modern 79 #31,628
2008 modern 80 #31,833
2009 modern 85 #31,717
2010 modern 90 #31,621
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 91 #32,153
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Morphetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Frittenden, London parishes, Caple, Tudeley, Pembury, Brenchley and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Canterbury, Bedford, Tunbridge Wells, Calderdale and Kirklees. 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 Frittenden Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Caple, Tudeley, Pembury Kent
4 Brenchley Kent
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Canterbury 006 Canterbury
2 Bedford 003 Bedford
3 Tunbridge Wells 004 Tunbridge Wells
4 Calderdale 004 Calderdale
5 Kirklees 011 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morphett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morphett

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Morphett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Morphett 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

Morphett falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Morphett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morphett 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 52 Morphetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.74x.

County Total Index
Kent 52 14.74x
Middlesex 12 1.16x
Yorkshire 9 0.88x
Westmorland 8 35.21x
Gloucestershire 6 2.96x
Suffolk 6 4.76x
Sussex 6 3.44x
Essex 5 2.45x
Lancashire 2 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brenchley in Kent leads with 12 Morphetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 952.38x.

Place Total Index
Brenchley 12 952.38x
Killington 8 8888.89x
Biddenden 7 1458.33x
Cranbrook 7 469.80x
Leeds 7 12.10x
Maidstone 7 66.60x
Boxford 6 2608.70x
Frittenden 6 1818.18x
Hastings St Mary In The 6 161.29x
St Pancras London 6 7.21x
Beckenham 5 108.46x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 73.96x
West Ham 5 11.10x
Yalding 4 449.44x
Bainbridge 2 833.33x
Folkestone 2 29.24x
Hanwell 2 109.29x
Tenterden 2 161.29x
Tottenham 2 12.14x
Carnforth 1 149.25x
Frampton Cotterell 1 140.85x
Islington London 1 1.00x
Paddington London 1 2.63x
Warton With Lindeth 1 196.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Maud 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Keturah 1
L. 1
Lily 1
Mabel 1
Margarett 1
May 1
Millicencia 1
Neva 1
Rosa 1
Rosannah 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
William 7
Thomas 5
Albert 3
John 3
Stephen 3
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charels 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Ralph 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Morphett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morphett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 106 people were recorded with the Morphett surname. That placed it at #19,083 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morphett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Morphett a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Morphett map show?

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