NameCensus.

UK surname

Morriss

A variant spelling of the surname Morris, derived from Maurice, a Norman French form of the Latin name Maurus meaning Moorish or dark-skinned.

In the 1881 census there were 1,821 people recorded with the Morriss surname, ranking it #2,390 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 849, ranked #6,584, down from #2,390 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Trafford and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morriss is 1,970 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.4%.

1881 census count

1,821

Ranked #2,390

Modern count

849

2016, ranked #6,584

Peak year

1851

1,970 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morriss had 1,821 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,390 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016, ranked #6,584.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,970 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morriss surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morriss surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morriss 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 1,970 #1,470
1861 historical 1,554 #1,827
1881 historical 1,821 #2,390
1891 historical 1,514 #2,916
1901 historical 1,867 #2,818
1911 historical 1,257 #3,782
1997 modern 842 #6,288
1998 modern 869 #6,331
1999 modern 854 #6,457
2000 modern 866 #6,358
2001 modern 838 #6,415
2002 modern 870 #6,353
2003 modern 835 #6,426
2004 modern 857 #6,310
2005 modern 822 #6,459
2006 modern 821 #6,482
2007 modern 821 #6,552
2008 modern 821 #6,596
2009 modern 849 #6,570
2010 modern 885 #6,483
2011 modern 871 #6,495
2012 modern 837 #6,608
2013 modern 864 #6,553
2014 modern 865 #6,575
2015 modern 851 #6,596
2016 modern 849 #6,584

Geography

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Where Morriss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, London parishes, Lambeth and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Trafford, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 010 South Holland
2 Trafford 011 Trafford
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 029 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Merthyr Tydfil 005 Merthyr Tydfil
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 019 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morriss

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morriss

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Morriss is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Morriss 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

Morriss falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Morriss

The surname Morriss has its origins in Wales and England, arising from the personal name Morris, a variant of the name Maurice. This name is derived from the Latin name Mauritius, which was a Roman name meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moorish."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Morriss date back to the 13th century in England. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William Morys from Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the surname Morriss, but it does record various places and individuals with similar names, such as Maurice and Morris.

In the 14th century, the surname Morriss was found in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Morris from Gloucestershire, and the Subsidy Rolls of 1380 record a William Morys from Worcestershire.

The name Morriss was also connected to various place names in England and Wales. For example, the village of Morris in Shropshire, England, and the town of Morriston in Swansea, Wales, both derived their names from individuals with the surname Morriss or its variants.

Notable individuals with the surname Morriss throughout history include:

1. Edward Morriss (1638-1689), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Aylesbury from 1679 to 1689. 2. John Morriss (1776-1838), an English engraver and painter known for his landscape paintings and engravings of British scenery. 3. William Morriss (1834-1896), an English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution. 4. Charles Morriss (1858-1924), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. 5. Kathleen Morriss (1907-1991), an English artist and illustrator known for her botanical illustrations and paintings of flowers.

The surname Morriss has also been found in various spellings throughout history, such as Morris, Morys, Morrice, and Morice, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morriss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morriss 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 214 Morriss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.21x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 214 1.21x
Warwickshire 180 4.00x
Lancashire 174 0.82x
Middlesex 151 0.85x
Surrey 129 1.49x
Staffordshire 121 2.01x
Lincolnshire 112 3.93x
Shropshire 86 5.59x
Worcestershire 86 3.70x
Kent 59 0.97x
Leicestershire 50 2.53x
Durham 49 0.92x
Derbyshire 41 1.47x
Northamptonshire 39 2.33x
Cambridgeshire 34 3.01x
Norfolk 34 1.24x
Gloucestershire 24 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 24 1.00x
Buckinghamshire 23 2.13x
Oxfordshire 23 2.09x
Hertfordshire 19 1.55x
Somerset 15 0.52x
Essex 14 0.40x
Monmouthshire 14 1.09x
Hampshire 13 0.36x
Herefordshire 13 1.78x
Sussex 13 0.43x
Berkshire 12 0.90x
Suffolk 12 0.55x
Cheshire 11 0.28x
Cornwall 7 0.35x
Lanarkshire 6 0.10x
Dorset 5 0.43x
Devon 3 0.08x
Glamorgan 3 0.10x
Northumberland 2 0.08x
Renfrewshire 2 0.14x
Royal Navy 2 0.94x
Angus 1 0.06x
Bedfordshire 1 0.11x
Buteshire 1 0.93x
Channel Islands 1 0.19x
Denbighshire 1 0.15x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Rutland 1 0.76x

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 53 Morriss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.54x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 53 3.54x
Aston 34 2.75x
Sedgley 29 12.98x
West Bromwich 25 7.26x
Sheffield 23 4.09x
Brinsworth 20 244.20x
Farnworth 20 15.78x
Southwark St Saviour 20 21.84x
Shoreditch London 18 2.33x
Barrow 17 813.40x
Bilston 17 14.58x
Leeds 17 1.70x
Oldbury 17 14.85x
St Pancras London 17 1.19x
Bethnal Green London 16 2.07x
Broughton 16 298.51x
Chilvers Coton 16 86.58x
Derby St Alkmund 16 19.13x
Ditchingham 15 228.66x
Hapton 15 113.46x
Rotherham 15 15.07x
Madeley 14 24.80x
Shrewsbury St Mary 14 23.04x
Chelsea London 13 2.42x
Holy Trinity 13 3.06x
Oakington 13 391.57x
Brightside Bierlow 12 3.46x
Gateshead 12 3.02x
St George Hanover 12 5.16x
Stockton 12 286.40x
Bromsgrove 11 14.04x
Killamarsh 11 63.36x
Lambeth 11 0.71x
Wavertree 11 16.25x
Wigan 11 3.72x
Clee With Weelsby 10 16.03x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 4.35x
Irthlingborough 10 60.83x
North Witham 10 689.66x
Snaith Cowick 10 94.70x
Southwark Christchurch 10 11.97x
Tong 10 323.62x
Wombwell 10 19.42x
Baston 9 190.68x
Harborne 9 4.67x
Kings Norton 9 4.31x
Leamington Priors 9 8.14x
Leicester St Margaret 9 1.87x
St Andrewthe Less 9 6.98x
Stretford 9 7.74x
Studley 9 46.83x
Swineshead 9 96.15x
Warwick St Mary 9 23.07x
Westerham 9 64.15x
Westleigh 9 18.74x
Weston Turville 9 178.93x
Worsley 9 6.90x
Camberwell 8 0.70x
Edgton 8 588.24x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 8 16.25x
Hitchin 8 14.43x
Margate St John Baptist 8 7.19x
Mynyddyslwyn 8 15.74x
Newington 8 1.22x
Paddington London 8 1.22x
Tipton 8 4.34x
Tooting Graveney 8 33.11x
Boston 7 8.10x
Coxhoe 7 46.54x
Docking 7 81.21x
Frithville Fishtoft 7 338.16x
Hammersmith London 7 1.59x
Holdingham 7 823.53x
Hornsey 7 3.11x
Ilkeston 7 8.95x
Kidderminster Foreign 7 21.27x
Pilkington 7 8.71x
Ratcliffe London 7 7.11x
Rotherhithe 7 3.18x
Toxteth Park 7 0.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 135
Sarah 68
Ann 54
Elizabeth 54
Jane 39
Eliza 37
Emma 29
Annie 27
Alice 23
Ellen 22
Emily 19
Hannah 17
Margaret 16
Louisa 15
Ada 14
Martha 14
Florence 12
Maria 12
Fanny 11
Harriet 11
Lucy 11
Amelia 10
Susan 10
Anne 9
Edith 9
Clara 8
Catherine 7
Charlotte 7
Harriett 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7
Susannah 7
Amy 6
Ethel 6
Kate 6
Elizth. 5
Frances 5
Julia 5
Matilda 5
Selina 5
Agnes 4
Betsy 4
Esther 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Phoebe 4
Sophia 4
Caroline 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 109
William 108
Thomas 74
George 68
James 51
Charles 40
Joseph 40
Edward 34
Henry 32
Robert 23
Frederick 22
Richard 18
Arthur 15
Walter 15
Samuel 14
Alfred 13
Francis 9
Harry 8
Herbert 8
Albert 7
David 7
Daniel 6
Frank 6
Stephen 6
Jonathan 5
Edwin 4
Mark 4
Edmund 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Leonard 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Benjamin 2
Earnest 2
Fred 2
G.H. 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Jabez 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Matthew 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Sidney 2
Thos. 2

FAQ

Morriss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morriss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,821 people were recorded with the Morriss surname. That placed it at #2,390 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morriss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 849 in 2016. That gives Morriss a modern rank of #6,584.

What does the Morriss surname mean?

A variant spelling of the surname Morris, derived from Maurice, a Norman French form of the Latin name Maurus meaning Moorish or dark-skinned.

What does the Morriss map show?

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