NameCensus.

UK surname

Morris

An English or Welsh surname referring to a dark-skinned or swarthy person, derived from the Latin "Maurus."

In the 1881 census there were 66,607 people recorded with the Morris surname, ranking it #32 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96,847, ranked #33, down from #32 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Swansea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Pembrokeshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morris is 99,761 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.4%.

1881 census count

66,607

Ranked #32

Modern count

96,847

2016, ranked #33

Peak year

1999

99,761 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morris had 66,607 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96,847 in 2016, ranked #33.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89,325 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morris surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morris surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morris 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 42,141 #38
1861 historical 44,099 #39
1881 historical 66,607 #32
1891 historical 71,773 #32
1901 historical 83,489 #33
1911 historical 89,325 #31
1997 modern 95,150 #32
1998 modern 99,024 #32
1999 modern 99,761 #32
2000 modern 99,141 #32
2001 modern 96,526 #32
2002 modern 98,525 #32
2003 modern 96,302 #33
2004 modern 96,024 #33
2005 modern 94,332 #33
2006 modern 94,188 #33
2007 modern 94,738 #33
2008 modern 95,347 #33
2009 modern 97,689 #33
2010 modern 99,435 #33
2011 modern 98,190 #33
2012 modern 96,513 #33
2013 modern 98,442 #33
2014 modern 98,780 #33
2015 modern 97,545 #33
2016 modern 96,847 #33

Geography

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Where Morris' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Swansea and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Pembrokeshire and Shropshire. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Swansea Glamorganshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 001 Powys
2 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
3 Powys 011 Powys
4 Shropshire 007 Shropshire
5 Shropshire 006 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morris

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morris

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

Morris is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Morris

The surname Morris is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Maurice, itself coming from the Latin Mauritius or Maurus, meaning "Moorish" or "dark-skinned". The name likely originated in the medieval period, when many families adopted hereditary surnames.

Morris is a prominent surname found in several regions of Wales, particularly in the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, and Pembrokeshire. It is also found in parts of England, especially in the border counties near Wales. The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Moris ap Gruffydd, a Welsh landowner who lived in the late 13th century. Another early record is that of John Morris, listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Morris, as it primarily recorded landowners and tenants.

In the 15th century, the Morris surname appeared in various records, such as the Calendars of Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Notable individuals from this period include John Morris (c. 1415-1489), a Welsh clergyman and Bishop of Llandaff, and Sir William Morris (c. 1450-1501), a Welsh soldier and MP for Monmouthshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Morris surname continued to spread across Wales and England. Prominent figures included Lewis Morris (1612-1675), a Welsh writer and politician, and Richard Morris (1590-1644), an English physician and author of works on anatomy and medicine.

In the 18th century, the Morris family produced several notable individuals, such as Lewis Morris (1671-1746), a Welsh-American landowner and judge who served as the 16th Governor of New Jersey, and Robert Morris (1734-1806), an American merchant and political leader who financed the American Revolution.

Other famous individuals with the surname Morris include William Morris (1834-1896), an English artist, writer, and socialist who played a significant role in the Arts and Crafts movement, and Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816), an American statesman and one of the authors of the United States Constitution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morris families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morris 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. Lancashire leads with 8,723 Morris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8,723 1.13x
Middlesex 5,967 0.92x
Glamorgan 3,699 3.27x
Staffordshire 3,448 1.57x
Shropshire 3,344 5.95x
Warwickshire 2,525 1.54x
Yorkshire 2,446 0.38x
Surrey 2,385 0.75x
Pembrokeshire 1,807 8.74x
Cheshire 1,724 1.20x
Worcestershire 1,663 1.96x
Carmarthenshire 1,597 5.83x
Montgomeryshire 1,588 10.66x
Kent 1,523 0.69x
Denbighshire 1,442 5.87x
Caernarfonshire 1,407 5.35x
Herefordshire 1,270 4.76x
Monmouthshire 1,192 2.54x
Hampshire 1,144 0.86x
Gloucestershire 1,126 0.88x
Sussex 975 0.89x
Durham 852 0.44x
Merionethshire 756 6.35x
Fife 749 1.95x
Nottinghamshire 731 0.83x
Somerset 695 0.66x
Leicestershire 664 0.92x
Essex 661 0.51x
Cardiganshire 655 4.13x
Derbyshire 634 0.62x
Lanarkshire 572 0.27x
Northamptonshire 556 0.91x
Brecknockshire 552 4.24x
Lincolnshire 545 0.52x
Flintshire 513 2.93x
Oxfordshire 450 1.12x
Angus 402 0.67x
Wiltshire 380 0.66x
Anglesey 372 3.23x
Devon 360 0.27x
Dorset 360 0.84x
Radnorshire 359 6.84x
Midlothian 354 0.41x
Northumberland 348 0.36x
Berkshire 312 0.64x
Hertfordshire 302 0.67x
Norfolk 268 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 265 0.67x
Perthshire 206 0.71x
Bedfordshire 188 0.56x
Renfrewshire 185 0.37x
Cornwall 163 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 160 0.39x
Ayrshire 149 0.31x
Suffolk 148 0.19x
Cumberland 114 0.20x
Aberdeenshire 85 0.14x
Stirlingshire 80 0.33x
West Lothian 72 0.74x
Royal Navy 60 0.77x
Channel Islands 52 0.27x
Dunbartonshire 36 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 33 0.26x
Caithness 31 0.35x
Rutland 29 0.61x
Westmorland 26 0.18x
Peeblesshire 22 0.72x
Isle of Man 21 0.17x
Kirkcudbrightshire 17 0.18x
Morayshire 16 0.16x
East Lothian 15 0.17x
Argyllshire 13 0.07x
Roxburghshire 13 0.11x
Banffshire 11 0.08x
Buteshire 10 0.25x
Inverness-shire 9 0.05x
Orkney 7 0.10x
Kinross-shire 6 0.37x
Ross-shire 6 0.03x
Clackmannanshire 5 0.09x
Kincardineshire 5 0.06x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.02x
Wigtownshire 2 0.02x
Berwickshire 1 0.01x
Selkirkshire 1 0.02x
Sutherland 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 877 Morris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 877 1.60x
Aston 755 1.67x
Islington London 574 0.91x
Liverpool 477 1.02x
Ystradyfodwg 458 4.61x
Manchester 424 1.22x
St Pancras London 409 0.78x
Aberdare 396 5.09x
Llanelly 396 6.41x
Lambeth 389 0.69x
Swansea Town 380 4.09x
Merthyr Tydfil 374 3.44x
Bedwellty 351 4.23x
Little Bolton 339 3.42x
Great Bolton 338 3.31x
Wolverhampton 337 2.00x
Hackney London 331 0.91x
Kensington London 330 0.91x
Stoke Upon Trent 319 1.37x
West Bromwich 316 2.51x
Everton 313 1.27x
Toxteth Park 312 1.19x
Mile End Old Town 305 2.97x
Camberwell 295 0.71x
Salford 289 1.27x
St Marylebone London 288 0.83x
West Derby 277 1.23x
Newington 260 1.08x
Shoreditch London 256 0.91x
West Ham 250 0.88x
Paddington London 245 1.02x
Blackburn 235 1.14x
Bethnal Green London 219 0.78x
Hulme 218 1.35x
Chelsea London 217 1.11x
Dudley 214 2.07x
Dunfermline 210 3.55x
Ruabon 203 6.01x
Nottingham St Mary 194 0.86x
Clase 186 4.42x
Llanrhaiadr Ym Mochnant 186 38.70x
Birkenhead 183 1.60x
Walsall Foreign 183 1.61x
Leicester St Margaret 178 1.01x
Pembroke St Mary 177 6.65x
Cheltenham 175 1.78x
Festiniog 175 6.97x
Hammersmith London 174 1.09x
St George Hanover 174 2.05x
Leeds 173 0.48x
Kirkdale 171 1.32x
Bermondsey 165 0.85x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 165 0.47x
Pool 163 14.50x
Shrewsbury St Chad 163 8.27x
Kingswinford 162 2.03x
Battersea 161 0.67x
Llanllechid 155 8.38x
Shrewsbury St Mary 152 6.86x
Tipton 151 2.25x
Dundee 148 0.66x
Oswestry Rural 147 17.08x
Preston 147 0.71x
Sedgley 146 1.79x
Llansilin 144 35.22x
Barony 143 0.27x
Kings Norton 143 1.88x
Llanbeblig 143 5.36x
Halliwell 138 4.91x
Bilston 135 3.17x
Carmarthen St Peter 132 5.63x
Deptford St Paul 130 0.76x
St Luke London 130 1.25x
Worsley 129 2.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 128 0.76x
Farnworth 128 2.77x
Oldham 128 0.51x
St George In East 128 2.89x
Llanwonno 123 3.02x
Ynyscynhaiarn 123 10.05x
Bury 122 1.38x
Llanddeiniolen 121 7.87x
Lewisham 117 0.99x
Oswestry Town 114 6.34x
Warrington 113 1.24x
Westhoughton 113 5.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4,716
Elizabeth 2,638
Sarah 2,355
Jane 1,488
Ann 1,398
Margaret 1,106
Ellen 1,019
Eliza 887
Emma 778
Alice 768
Annie 767
Hannah 662
Emily 654
Catherine 592
Martha 580
Anne 440
Harriet 431
Maria 363
Louisa 360
Edith 326
Fanny 321
Charlotte 296
Ada 289
Caroline 266
Clara 248
Kate 244
Florence 224
Esther 216
Lucy 201
Frances 180
Susan 180
Agnes 171
Rachel 168
Elizth. 164
Rose 162
Eleanor 146
Amelia 144
Rebecca 144
Harriett 132
Matilda 123
Isabella 116
Julia 114
Sophia 110
Susannah 109
Jessie 105
Amy 104
Gertrude 104
Lizzie 92
Anna 91
Ruth 91

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4,261
William 3,963
Thomas 2,748
James 1,789
George 1,637
Henry 1,065
Edward 1,021
Charles 985
David 959
Joseph 928
Richard 819
Robert 744
Alfred 510
Arthur 464
Samuel 450
Walter 363
Frederick 361
Albert 347
Benjamin 239
Edwin 221
Herbert 216
Harry 213
Evan 207
Frank 202
Wm. 183
Daniel 180
Ernest 158
Peter 153
Francis 149
Hugh 149
Owen 138
Thos. 130
Isaac 119
Lewis 105
Stephen 99
Morris 96
Michael 90
Patrick 80
Fred 76
Percy 73
Griffith 68
Andrew 58
Philip 58
Tom 56
Geo. 55
Rees 55
Chas. 54
Ebenezer 54
Edmund 52
Jno. 51

Top occupations

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 Morris households.

FAQ

Morris surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morris surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66,607 people were recorded with the Morris surname. That placed it at #32 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morris surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96,847 in 2016. That gives Morris a modern rank of #33.

What does the Morris surname mean?

An English or Welsh surname referring to a dark-skinned or swarthy person, derived from the Latin "Maurus."

What does the Morris map show?

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