NameCensus.

UK surname

Morrill

A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 326 people recorded with the Morrill surname, ranking it #9,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 360, ranked #12,867, down from #9,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Thurrock and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morrill is 388 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.4%.

1881 census count

326

Ranked #9,167

Modern count

360

2016, ranked #12,867

Peak year

2000

388 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morrill had 326 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016, ranked #12,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 361 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Morrill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morrill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morrill 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 227 #9,448
1861 historical 260 #9,516
1881 historical 326 #9,167
1891 historical 340 #10,062
1901 historical 351 #10,415
1911 historical 361 #10,044
1997 modern 375 #11,555
1998 modern 387 #11,640
1999 modern 380 #11,907
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 371 #11,881
2002 modern 379 #11,913
2003 modern 367 #11,988
2004 modern 368 #12,001
2005 modern 343 #12,546
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 352 #12,546
2008 modern 358 #12,485
2009 modern 365 #12,558
2010 modern 372 #12,651
2011 modern 371 #12,546
2012 modern 344 #13,121
2013 modern 359 #12,917
2014 modern 364 #12,876
2015 modern 362 #12,825
2016 modern 360 #12,867

Geography

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Where Morrills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hull Holy Trinity, Newcastle All Saints and Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Thurrock, Hartlepool, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wakefield. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
5 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 015 Caerphilly
2 Thurrock 012 Thurrock
3 Hartlepool 008 Hartlepool
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Wakefield 010 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morrill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morrill

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Morrill, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Morrill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Morrill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Morrill 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

Morrill 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

Morrill falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Morrill

The surname Morrill is of English origin and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mōr" meaning moor or marsh, and "hyll" meaning hill, suggesting the name originally referred to someone who lived on a marshy hill or elevated moorland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Morhulle" in the county of Devonshire. This entry is believed to refer to a place called Morrill or Morville, located in the parish of Brixham.

In the 13th century, the name was also documented in various forms such as "Morhull," "Morhille," and "Morhulle" in various ancient charters and records from counties like Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Morrill (c. 1300-1360), a knight from Wiltshire who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War against France. He was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the siege of Calais in 1347.

In the 16th century, the name Morrill was associated with the village of Morrill in Derbyshire, which was recorded as "Morehull" in 1577. This village likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Justin Morrill (1810-1898), a U.S. Senator from Vermont who is best known for sponsoring the Morrill Land-Grant Acts of 1862 and 1890, which established the land-grant college system in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the Morrill surname include John Morrill (1597-1662), an early settler of Massachusetts Bay Colony; Anson P. Morrill (1803-1887), a U.S. Representative from Maine; and Lot M. Morrill (1813-1883), a U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Ulysses S. Grant.

Throughout history, the Morrill surname has also appeared in various spellings such as Morrell, Morrell, Morril, and Morell, reflecting the regional variations and evolving spellings over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morrill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morrill 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 203 Morrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.44x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 203 6.44x
Middlesex 41 1.29x
Nottinghamshire 21 4.90x
Warwickshire 14 1.75x
Kent 10 0.92x
Durham 6 0.63x
Devon 5 0.76x
Northumberland 5 1.06x
Surrey 5 0.32x
Hertfordshire 3 1.37x
Lancashire 3 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.99x
Cheshire 2 0.28x
Derbyshire 1 0.20x
Glamorgan 1 0.18x
Hampshire 1 0.15x
Lincolnshire 1 0.20x
Sussex 1 0.19x
Worcestershire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. York St Mary in Yorkshire leads with 15 Morrills recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.94x.

Place Total Index
York St Mary 15 114.94x
Asselby 13 4482.76x
Hunslet 13 26.46x
Radford 13 59.72x
Brightside Bierlow 12 19.42x
Leeds 12 6.74x
Scackleton 11 6111.11x
Nether Hallam 10 23.46x
Plumstead 10 27.65x
St George In East 10 46.23x
Bradford 8 10.49x
Drypool 8 165.98x
St Pancras London 8 3.13x
Ulleskelf 8 1600.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 23.84x
Aston 6 2.72x
Edgbaston 6 24.14x
Farmanby 6 1111.11x
Framwellgate 6 107.14x
Holy Trinity 6 7.92x
Kensington London 6 3.39x
Knaresborough 6 121.21x
Knottingley 6 108.30x
York St Cuthbert 6 208.33x
Beeston 5 101.63x
Goole 5 94.70x
Holbeck 5 23.95x
North Tawton 5 246.31x
Westminster St John 5 12.91x
Wrelton 5 2000.00x
Chelsea London 4 4.17x
Pocklington 4 134.68x
Sheffield 4 3.99x
Southcoates 4 22.87x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 3 27.83x
Bradford 3 16.99x
Hook 3 43.29x
Hunsdon 3 526.32x
Kilburn 3 714.29x
Kingstonupon Hull 3 118.58x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 10.62x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.71x
Altrincham 2 16.30x
Carshalton 2 33.73x
Chirton 2 18.67x
Cottingham 2 29.46x
Hackney London 2 1.12x
Islington London 2 0.65x
Linton 2 104.71x
Sculcoates 2 4.00x
St George Hanover 2 4.82x
York St Maurice 2 33.73x
Alne 1 185.19x
Barrow On Humber 1 33.90x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.72x
Birmingham 1 0.37x
Camberwell 1 0.49x
Camblesforth 1 333.33x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.28x
Cattal 1 526.32x
Chichester St Peter 1 232.56x
Cromford 1 85.47x
Doncaster 1 4.34x
Ecclesfield 1 4.33x
Kings Norton 1 2.69x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.69x
Leamington Priors 1 5.07x
Monkton Moor 1 370.37x
Portsmouth 1 6.66x
Putney 1 6.90x
Sinnington 1 294.12x
St Marylebone London 1 0.59x
Sunk Island 1 217.39x
Wressell 1 243.90x
York St George 1 40.32x
York St Margaret 1 51.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Jane 15
Sarah 14
Ann 10
Alice 9
Elizabeth 8
Annie 7
Ada 6
Ellen 6
Martha 6
Eliza 5
Emma 4
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Hannah 3
A. 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Car 1
Carh. 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Edwina 1
Elizth. 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Isabelle 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Rachel 1
Rosalie 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 18
Thomas 15
George 11
Joseph 10
James 8
Henry 6
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Thos. 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Daniel 2
Elijah 2
Richard 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Bower 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Golden 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Jonathan 1
Matthew 1
Sampson 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Edwin 1
Wm.H. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Morrill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morrill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 326 people were recorded with the Morrill surname. That placed it at #9,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morrill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016. That gives Morrill a modern rank of #12,867.

What does the Morrill surname mean?

A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.

What does the Morrill map show?

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