NameCensus.

UK surname

Morsley

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Morsley surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Peter, Greenwich and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Kirklees and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morsley is 296 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1891

296 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morsley had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 296 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Morsley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morsley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morsley 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 288 #8,743
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 242 #13,392
1911 historical 268 #12,332
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 145 #22,259
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 135 #24,952
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 131 #25,979
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Morsleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Peter, Greenwich, London parishes, St Werburgh and Trimley St Martin, Trimley St Mary, Stratton Hall Farm. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Kirklees, Plymouth and Medway. 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 St Peter Derbyshire
2 Greenwich London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Trimley St Martin, Trimley St Mary, Stratton Hall Farm Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 003 Tendring
2 Tendring 004 Tendring
3 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
4 Plymouth 023 Plymouth
5 Medway 027 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morsley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morsley

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Morsley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Morsley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Morsley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Morsley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Morsley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Morsley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morsley 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. Kent leads with 47 Morsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.62x.

County Total Index
Kent 47 10.62x
Suffolk 19 12.02x
Derbyshire 17 8.37x
Essex 11 4.30x
Leicestershire 7 4.87x
Middlesex 7 0.54x
Staffordshire 6 1.37x
Surrey 5 0.79x
Hertfordshire 4 4.47x
Lancashire 3 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.14x
Gloucestershire 1 0.39x
Hampshire 1 0.38x
Midlothian 1 0.58x
Warwickshire 1 0.31x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greenwich in Kent leads with 15 Morsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.64x.

Place Total Index
Greenwich 15 72.64x
Gravesend 12 320.00x
Leiston 9 825.69x
Litchurch 9 110.16x
Harwich St Nicholas 7 353.54x
Sileby 7 769.23x
Derby St Peter 6 92.74x
Plumstead 6 40.65x
West Bromwich 6 23.93x
Bermondsey 5 12.95x
Milton In Gravesend 5 75.30x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 113.96x
Pluckley 4 975.61x
Trimley St Martin 4 1481.48x
Berkhampstead 3 149.25x
Holy Trinity Minories 3 3750.00x
Derby St Alkmund 2 32.84x
Liverpool 2 2.14x
Snenton 2 29.11x
St Pancras London 2 1.92x
Trimley St Mary 2 1052.63x
Walton 2 350.88x
West Ham 2 3.54x
Wix 2 714.29x
Birmingham 1 0.92x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 11.79x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.93x
North Leith 1 12.44x
Parham 1 500.00x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.45x
Portsea 1 1.92x
Saddleworth 1 10.08x
Shoreditch London 1 1.78x
Ufford 1 400.00x
Welwyn 1 129.87x
Whitechapel London 1 7.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 6
Ellen 5
Charlotte 4
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Emma 4
Jessie 4
Alice 2
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Mabel 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Betsey 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Joice 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Minnie 1
Pleasant 1
Rosetta 1
Susanna 1
Tamar 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Morsley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morsley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 138 people were recorded with the Morsley surname. That placed it at #16,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morsley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Morsley a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Morsley map show?

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