NameCensus.

UK surname

Morrisson

A Scottish surname derived from an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Ghille Mhuire" meaning son of the servant of Mary.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Morrisson surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, Strathmiglo and Larbert. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Calderdale and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morrisson is 178 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.6%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1851

178 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morrisson had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 178 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Morrisson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morrisson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morrisson 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 178 #11,397
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 94 #23,588
1911 historical 52 #27,620
1997 modern 87 #28,749
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 95 #28,746
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Morrissons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, Strathmiglo, Larbert, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Calderdale, Southend-on-Sea and Southampton. 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 Kilbirnie Ayr
2 Strathmiglo Fife
3 Larbert Stirling
4 London parishes London 1
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 018 Colchester
2 Colchester 008 Colchester
3 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
4 Southend-on-Sea 007 Southend-on-Sea
5 Southampton 004 Southampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morrisson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morrisson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Morrisson, 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 Morrisson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Morrisson 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Morrisson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Morrisson 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

Morrisson falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Morrisson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Morrisson

The surname Morrisson has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning marsh or fen, and "tun" meaning town or settlement. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a marshy area or a town located in a marshy region.

One of the earliest known records of the name Morrisson appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The name is also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century, indicating the presence of Morrissons in various parts of the country.

The Morrisson surname has several variations in spelling, including Morrison, Morison, Murison, and Moryson. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences. The name was also influenced by place names such as Morayshire, where many Morrissons resided.

Notable individuals with the surname Morrisson throughout history include:

1. Sir Richard Morrisson (c. 1510 - 1556), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Robert Morrisson (1620 - 1685), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the leading figures of the Covenanter movement. 3. Toni Morrisson (1931 - 2019), an American novelist, essayist, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. 4. Jim Morrisson (1943 - 1971), an American singer, songwriter, and poet, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Doors. 5. Sir Walter Morrisson (1836 - 1921), a Scottish botanist and pioneer in the study of plant physiology.

The Morrisson name has been present in various regions of Scotland, including the Highlands, Lowlands, and the Scottish Borders. It has also spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, North America, and beyond as a result of migration and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morrisson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morrisson 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 15 Morrissons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.62x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 1.62x
Cumberland 9 13.40x
Middlesex 7 0.90x
Roxburghshire 7 49.54x
Lanarkshire 5 1.98x
Midlothian 5 4.78x
Surrey 5 1.32x
Cheshire 4 2.32x
Devon 3 1.85x
Monmouthshire 3 5.32x
Angus 2 2.77x
Channel Islands 2 8.65x
Kent 2 0.75x
Renfrewshire 2 3.31x
Worcestershire 2 1.96x
Ayrshire 1 1.71x
Berwickshire 1 10.58x
Derbyshire 1 0.82x
Essex 1 0.65x
Glamorgan 1 0.74x
Gloucestershire 1 0.65x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 9 Morrissons recorded in 1881 and an index of 321.43x.

Place Total Index
Cleator 9 321.43x
Kirkdale 9 57.77x
Wilton 7 451.61x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 187.97x
Old Monkland 5 49.95x
Birkenhead 4 29.13x
Lambeth 4 5.88x
St Woollos 3 47.62x
Staverton 3 1500.00x
Abbey 2 21.67x
Chelsea London 2 8.51x
Cliffe 2 333.33x
Dundee 2 7.41x
Grouville 2 312.50x
Liverpool 2 3.56x
Paddington London 2 6.97x
Staunton 2 1818.18x
West Derby 2 7.38x
Ayr 1 36.23x
Hawkesbury 1 192.31x
Islington London 1 1.32x
Leeds 1 2.29x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 7.66x
Mertoun 1 555.56x
Norton 1 99.01x
Pilkington 1 28.41x
Salford 1 3.67x
Shoreditch London 1 2.96x
St George Hanover 1 9.81x
Wandsworth 1 13.32x
West Ham 1 2.94x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
William 6
Thomas 5
A. 2
Arthur 2
Alfred 1
David 1
Ernest 1
John 1
Patrick 1
Robert 1

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 Morrisson households.

FAQ

Morrisson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morrisson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Morrisson surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morrisson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Morrisson a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Morrisson surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Ghille Mhuire" meaning son of the servant of Mary.

What does the Morrisson map show?

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