NameCensus.

UK surname

Morrisey

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Muirgheasa, meaning "descendant of Muirgheas," a personal name meaning "sea choice."

In the 1881 census there were 358 people recorded with the Morrisey surname, ranking it #8,638 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 315, ranked #14,258, down from #8,638 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Blaenau Gwent and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morrisey is 393 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.0%.

1881 census count

358

Ranked #8,638

Modern count

315

2016, ranked #14,258

Peak year

1997

393 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morrisey had 358 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,638 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016, ranked #14,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 375 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Morrisey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morrisey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morrisey 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 358 #8,638
1891 historical 375 #9,331
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 333 #10,624
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 389 #11,594
1999 modern 383 #11,823
2000 modern 355 #12,430
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 365 #12,246
2003 modern 343 #12,607
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 328 #12,992
2006 modern 332 #12,970
2007 modern 339 #12,896
2008 modern 342 #12,933
2009 modern 361 #12,663
2010 modern 361 #12,933
2011 modern 357 #12,915
2012 modern 342 #13,184
2013 modern 337 #13,537
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 323 #13,991
2016 modern 315 #14,258

Geography

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Where Morriseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Blaenau Gwent, Newport, Carntyne and Powys. 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 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 012 Pendle
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Newport 010 Newport
4 Carntyne Glasgow City
5 Powys 006 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morrisey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morrisey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Morrisey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Morrisey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Morrisey 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

Morrisey is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morrisey 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 Morrisey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Morrisey

The surname Morrisey originated in Ireland. Its roots can be traced back to the Gaelic Irish name Muirgheasa, which means "navigators" or "sea battlers." It is believed that the name first emerged in the 12th or 13th century in the coastal regions of Ireland, where the ancestors of the Morrisey clan lived and worked as sailors, fishermen, or maritime traders.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Morrisey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. In this manuscript, there is a reference to a notable figure named Muirgheasa Ua Briain, who lived in the late 12th century and was a member of the powerful Uí Briain dynasty.

Over time, the name Morrisey evolved into various spellings, including Morrissey, Morrisey, and Morrisy, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations that existed in different parts of Ireland. Some of the earliest documented examples of these spellings can be found in Irish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the late 16th century, a prominent individual named Donough Morrisey was recorded as the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe in County Kerry. Another notable figure was Owen Morrisey, a Irish Confederate colonel who fought in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 1640s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Morriseys emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States, Canada, and England. One famous bearer of the name was John Morrisey, an Irish-American boxer, gambler, and politician who was born in 1831 and became a prominent figure in New York City's political and underworld circles.

In the 19th century, the Morrisey name gained further recognition with the birth of Jeremiah Augustine Morrisey (1859-1912), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Manchester in New Hampshire. Another notable individual was Thomas Morrisey (1828-1890), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois.

Throughout history, several place names in Ireland have been associated with the Morrisey surname, such as Morrisey's Hill in County Cork and Morrisey's Strand in County Galway, reflecting the geographical origins and settlements of the Morrisey clan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morrisey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morrisey 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 131 Morriseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 131 3.14x
Glamorgan 44 7.20x
Middlesex 30 0.85x
Kent 20 1.67x
Cheshire 19 2.45x
Surrey 13 0.76x
Durham 12 1.15x
Northumberland 10 1.91x
Perthshire 10 6.34x
Yorkshire 10 0.29x
Essex 9 1.30x
Angus 8 2.46x
Cornwall 8 2.01x
Cumberland 6 1.98x
Gloucestershire 6 0.87x
Lanarkshire 6 0.53x
Staffordshire 6 0.51x
Hampshire 3 0.42x
Wiltshire 3 0.97x
Devon 2 0.27x
Brecknockshire 1 1.42x
Derbyshire 1 0.18x
Roxburghshire 1 1.57x
Royal Navy 1 2.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cardiff St Mary in Glamorgan leads with 22 Morriseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.32x.

Place Total Index
Cardiff St Mary 22 65.32x
Widnes 22 73.21x
Liverpool 18 7.11x
Chatham 11 33.37x
Manchester 11 5.87x
Fowlis Wester 10 746.27x
Merthyr Tydfil 10 17.02x
Wavertree 9 67.47x
Bethnal Green London 8 5.24x
Everton 8 6.02x
Lochee 8 275.86x
Wallsend 8 48.28x
Bickerstaffe 7 256.41x
Chelsea London 7 6.62x
Lambeth 7 2.29x
Stranton 7 19.90x
Toxteth Park 7 4.96x
Birkenhead 6 9.71x
Burslem 6 17.67x
Camborne 6 36.63x
Conisbrough 6 184.05x
Kirkdale 6 8.56x
Leckwith 6 416.67x
Stanwix 6 244.90x
West Derby 6 4.92x
Woolwich 6 13.56x
Ashton In Makerfield 5 42.16x
Barking 5 24.65x
Dukinfield 5 13.96x
Govan 5 1.78x
Ratcliffe London 5 25.79x
Salford 5 4.08x
Stockton On Tees 5 9.93x
Woolston With 5 819.67x
Heap 4 18.10x
St Marylebone London 4 2.13x
Stapleton 4 30.63x
Beswick 3 28.14x
Bradford On Avon 3 30.18x
Droylsden 3 22.08x
Swansea Town 3 5.98x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 2.20x
Burnley 2 5.70x
Byker 2 7.74x
Cardiff St John 2 10.02x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 16.01x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.02x
Colchester St Botolph 2 33.90x
Liscard 2 14.32x
Little Bolton 2 3.73x
Newington 2 1.54x
Newton In Ashton Under 2 26.14x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 2.83x
St Luke London 2 3.55x
Thornaby 2 15.38x
Tranmere 2 7.02x
West Ham 2 1.31x
Birtle Cum Bamford 1 36.76x
Brecknock St John 1 16.89x
Carisbrooke 1 10.01x
Clapham 1 2.28x
Epsom 1 11.99x
Farnborough 1 13.23x
Fulham London 1 1.96x
Hyde 1 4.37x
Inner Temple London 1 526.32x
Jedburgh 1 16.05x
Manningham 1 2.33x
Maryhill 1 4.50x
Oldham 1 0.74x
Padstow 1 37.88x
Penarth 1 16.72x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.78x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.21x
St Columb Minor 1 29.94x
St Martin In Fields 1 4.76x
Stockport 1 2.51x
Stoke Damerel 1 1.95x
Walmer 1 19.19x
Westbury On Trym 1 4.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Ellen 13
Bridget 12
Catherine 12
Margaret 12
Elizabeth 9
Ann 7
Eliza 6
Annie 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Julia 3
Sarah 3
Caroline 2
Cathne. 2
Johanna 2
Kate 2
Maria 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Annastaisie 1
Anne 1
Cath. 1
Cathrine 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Eugenie 1
Hannah 1
Hanny 1
Helen 1
Honore 1
Johanne 1
Kathleen 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Marrigette 1
Martha 1
May 1
Mgt. 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Morrisey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morrisey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 358 people were recorded with the Morrisey surname. That placed it at #8,638 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morrisey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016. That gives Morrisey a modern rank of #14,258.

What does the Morrisey surname mean?

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Muirgheasa, meaning "descendant of Muirgheas," a personal name meaning "sea choice."

What does the Morrisey map show?

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