NameCensus.

UK surname

Mort

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked with the dead, such as an undertaker or gravedigger.

In the 1881 census there were 1,451 people recorded with the Mort surname, ranking it #2,871 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,750, ranked #3,585, down from #2,871 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccles, Dean and Leigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Cheshire West and Chester and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mort is 2,052 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.6%.

1881 census count

1,451

Ranked #2,871

Modern count

1,750

2016, ranked #3,585

Peak year

1911

2,052 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mort had 1,451 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,871 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,750 in 2016, ranked #3,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,052 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mort surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mort surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mort 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 834 #3,247
1861 historical 799 #3,436
1881 historical 1,451 #2,871
1891 historical 1,504 #2,929
1901 historical 1,850 #2,841
1911 historical 2,052 #2,432
1997 modern 1,836 #3,277
1998 modern 1,869 #3,351
1999 modern 1,884 #3,346
2000 modern 1,874 #3,342
2001 modern 1,857 #3,305
2002 modern 1,873 #3,344
2003 modern 1,843 #3,327
2004 modern 1,786 #3,421
2005 modern 1,736 #3,475
2006 modern 1,736 #3,485
2007 modern 1,747 #3,498
2008 modern 1,780 #3,466
2009 modern 1,786 #3,529
2010 modern 1,804 #3,561
2011 modern 1,760 #3,591
2012 modern 1,735 #3,580
2013 modern 1,786 #3,556
2014 modern 1,779 #3,576
2015 modern 1,741 #3,607
2016 modern 1,750 #3,585

Geography

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Where Morts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccles, Dean, Leigh, Swansea and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Cheshire West and Chester, Bolton and Swansea. 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 Eccles Lancashire
2 Dean Lancashire
3 Leigh Lancashire
4 Swansea Glamorganshire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 013 Neath Port Talbot
2 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Bolton 019 Bolton
4 Bolton 032 Bolton
5 Swansea 003 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mort

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mort

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mort surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mort household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mort is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mort 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

Mort 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 Mort is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mort

The surname MORT originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "mort," meaning "dead," which in turn comes from the Latin word "mors," also meaning "death." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked in a profession related to death, such as a gravedigger or an undertaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname MORT can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a person named William Mort residing in the county of Essex. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family named MORT residing in the village of Mortlake, located in the county of Surrey. The name of the village itself is derived from the Old English words "mort" and "lac," meaning "dead lake" or "lake of the dead." It is possible that the MORT family took their surname from this place name.

One notable figure bearing the surname MORT was John Mort, a wealthy merchant and politician who lived in the 16th century. Born in 1504, Mort served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1555 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir John Mort, a British naval officer who lived in the 18th century (1718-1796). He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Greenwich Hospital and was knighted for his service to the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, a notable figure named Richard Mort (1796-1868) was a successful industrialist and iron manufacturer from Manchester, England. He played a significant role in the development of the city's industrial infrastructure.

The surname MORT also appears in the writings of William Shakespeare. In his play "Hamlet," the character Ophelia mentions a "Mort o' th' field," which is a term used to refer to a person who has died in battle or in the open field.

While the surname MORT originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries that were former British colonies. However, its historical roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with professions or places related to death.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mort families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mort 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 882 Morts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 882 5.27x
Glamorgan 255 10.39x
Cheshire 115 3.70x
Yorkshire 76 0.54x
Staffordshire 25 0.53x
Lanarkshire 19 0.42x
Shropshire 17 1.40x
Sussex 12 0.50x
Middlesex 9 0.06x
Hampshire 6 0.21x
Surrey 6 0.09x
Derbyshire 5 0.23x
Flintshire 5 1.32x
Durham 4 0.10x
Gloucestershire 3 0.11x
Kent 3 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.22x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedford in Lancashire leads with 70 Morts recorded in 1881 and an index of 200.06x.

Place Total Index
Bedford 70 200.06x
Farnworth 62 61.86x
Great Bolton 58 26.18x
Clase 46 50.41x
Little Bolton 46 21.39x
Margam 46 168.07x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 42 87.23x
Briton Ferry 34 116.12x
Ashton Under Lyne 32 8.75x
Neath 32 64.08x
Culcheth 30 273.72x
Wigan 29 12.41x
Hindley 28 39.27x
Barton Upon Irwell 27 21.44x
Pennington In Leigh 24 74.79x
Radcliffe 24 29.77x
Cwmdu 22 73.58x
Westleigh 21 55.29x
Pendleton In Salford 20 10.04x
Penderry 19 435.78x
Worsley 18 17.46x
Little Lever 16 74.80x
Barony 15 1.30x
Newton 15 11.64x
Shocklach Church 15 1153.85x
Windle 15 15.94x
Atherton 14 23.00x
Golborne 14 64.22x
St John Near Swansea 14 46.13x
Swansea Higher 14 54.77x
Great Lever 13 73.24x
Lowton 12 105.45x
Worthington 12 975.61x
Astley 10 77.52x
Kearsley 10 28.42x
Salford 10 2.03x
Castle Church 9 31.47x
Dukinfield 9 6.26x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 10.72x
Failsworth 9 23.52x
Lymm 9 39.79x
Westhoughton 9 20.16x
Cleckheaton 8 15.55x
Lepton 8 54.83x
Liverpool 8 0.79x
Tonge With Haulgh 8 24.57x
Warrington 8 4.03x
West Derby 8 1.63x
Widnes 8 6.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 2.63x
Gorton 7 4.45x
Larktn Duckngtn Ovrtn 7 292.89x
Moss Side 7 7.95x
Skerton 7 50.98x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 1.39x
Swansea Town 7 3.48x
Tythegston Higher 7 93.96x
Barnsley 6 4.16x
Birkenhead 6 2.42x
Bowling 6 4.34x
Brighton 6 1.25x
Bury 6 3.14x
Cardiff St John 6 7.48x
Epsom 6 17.93x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 6.67x
Hulme 6 1.72x
Little Hulton 6 21.66x
Monks Coppenhall 6 5.11x
Musbury 6 122.70x
Parr 6 10.03x
Runcorn 6 8.36x
Stockport 6 3.75x
Weeke 6 68.57x
Weston In Runcorn 6 74.17x
Heckmondwike 5 11.13x
Higher Kinnerton 5 255.10x
Kingsley 5 86.21x
Oswaldtwistle 5 8.46x
Stretford 5 5.43x
Tranmere 5 4.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 115
Elizabeth 64
Sarah 52
Ann 48
Alice 47
Margaret 36
Ellen 30
Eliza 25
Martha 24
Jane 22
Hannah 17
Annie 15
Harriet 14
Emily 11
Betsy 10
Catherine 10
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Isabella 7
Emma 6
Agnes 5
Amelia 5
Anne 5
Betty 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Margret 5
Nancy 5
Rachel 5
Charlotte 4
Eliz. 4
Frances 4
Kate 4
Eve 3
Florence 3
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Lilly 3
Margt. 3
Cathn. 2
Clara 2
Elisabeth 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Helen 2
Lillie 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
May 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 100
James 76
William 73
Thomas 60
David 31
George 31
Joseph 28
Samuel 19
Peter 18
Richard 18
Alfred 12
Charles 12
Henry 11
Arnold 10
Robert 9
Arthur 8
Wm. 8
Adam 7
Harry 6
Isaac 6
Ralph 6
Thos. 6
Fred 5
Frederick 5
Llewellyn 5
Paul 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
Edward 4
Llewelyn 4
Morris 4
Frank 3
Gilbert 3
Jas. 3
Alexander 2
Arnot 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Enoch 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Harold 2
Jenkin 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Mark 2
Roger 2
Charley 1
Erasmus 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Mort surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mort surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,451 people were recorded with the Mort surname. That placed it at #2,871 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mort surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,750 in 2016. That gives Mort a modern rank of #3,585.

What does the Mort surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked with the dead, such as an undertaker or gravedigger.

What does the Mort map show?

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