NameCensus.

UK surname

Morton

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "moor town" or "marsh settlement."

In the 1881 census there were 16,044 people recorded with the Morton surname, ranking it #246 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 22,023, ranked #269, down from #246 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Darvel and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morton is 22,558 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.3%.

1881 census count

16,044

Ranked #246

Modern count

22,023

2016, ranked #269

Peak year

1999

22,558 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morton had 16,044 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #246 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 22,023 in 2016, ranked #269.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,739 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Morton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Morton 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 10,148 #251
1861 historical 10,689 #235
1881 historical 16,044 #246
1891 historical 16,906 #239
1901 historical 19,739 #246
1911 historical 16,997 #278
1997 modern 21,405 #266
1998 modern 22,210 #267
1999 modern 22,558 #267
2000 modern 22,380 #267
2001 modern 21,785 #267
2002 modern 22,211 #267
2003 modern 21,668 #268
2004 modern 21,659 #268
2005 modern 21,252 #269
2006 modern 21,285 #271
2007 modern 21,472 #269
2008 modern 21,610 #267
2009 modern 22,102 #268
2010 modern 22,483 #269
2011 modern 22,322 #267
2012 modern 21,860 #267
2013 modern 22,277 #269
2014 modern 22,420 #269
2015 modern 22,208 #269
2016 modern 22,023 #269

Geography

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Where Mortons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Darvel, Wakefield, Northumberland and Calderdale. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 008 Sheffield
2 Darvel East Ayrshire
3 Wakefield 011 Wakefield
4 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
5 Calderdale 025 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Morton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Morton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Morton 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

Morton 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

Morton 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 Morton 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 Morton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Morton

The surname Morton has its origins in England, deriving from the Old English words "mor" meaning "marsh" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". It is believed to have first emerged as a place name referring to a settlement near a marsh or swampy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Morton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several places with variations of the name, such as Mortone and Mortun. These entries suggest that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the surname Morton began to appear in historical records, with one of the earliest known bearers being Radulfus de Mortun, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1166. Other early examples include William de Morton, who was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1199, and Ralph de Morton, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1227.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance period, the Morton surname was associated with several prominent individuals. One notable figure was John Morton (c. 1420-1500), who served as Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry VII. Another was Thomas Morton (c. 1564-1659), an English bishop and writer who played a significant role in the early settlement of New England.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Morton name continued to be well-represented in various fields. Peregrine Phillip Courtenay Morton (1793-1871) was a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies. James Douglas Morton (1819-1891) was a prominent Canadian businessman and politician who helped establish the city of Winnipeg.

Another notable bearer of the Morton surname was Samuel George Morton (1799-1851), an American physician and natural scientist who made significant contributions to the study of craniology and physical anthropology. His work, though influenced by the racial prejudices of his time, helped lay the foundation for the field of anthropology.

Throughout its history, the Morton surname has been associated with various place names and localities, including Morton in Derbyshire, Morton in Lincolnshire, and Morton in Nottinghamshire, among others. The name has also been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Merton, Morten, and Moreton.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Morton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morton 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 2,959 Mortons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,959 1.91x
Lancashire 1,704 0.92x
Lanarkshire 1,511 2.99x
Middlesex 1,020 0.65x
Ayrshire 793 6.79x
Durham 672 1.45x
Derbyshire 534 2.18x
Northumberland 500 2.15x
Cheshire 460 1.33x
Warwickshire 452 1.15x
Surrey 435 0.57x
Staffordshire 400 0.76x
Midlothian 297 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 268 1.27x
Lincolnshire 266 1.07x
Renfrewshire 240 1.98x
Angus 211 1.46x
Kent 201 0.38x
Cumberland 192 1.43x
Fife 187 2.02x
Stirlingshire 184 3.20x
Worcestershire 160 0.78x
Essex 155 0.50x
Norfolk 141 0.59x
Northamptonshire 131 0.89x
Perthshire 124 1.77x
Leicestershire 122 0.70x
Gloucestershire 118 0.39x
Hertfordshire 117 1.09x
Cambridgeshire 106 1.07x
Dunbartonshire 98 2.34x
Berkshire 92 0.79x
Sussex 77 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 68 1.97x
Buckinghamshire 67 0.71x
Glamorgan 64 0.24x
Monmouthshire 61 0.54x
Hampshire 59 0.18x
East Lothian 58 2.80x
Devon 52 0.16x
Oxfordshire 50 0.52x
Shropshire 44 0.33x
Somerset 43 0.17x
Herefordshire 39 0.61x
Bedfordshire 33 0.41x
Wigtownshire 32 1.54x
Cornwall 29 0.16x
Argyllshire 28 0.64x
Aberdeenshire 26 0.18x
West Lothian 26 1.11x
Wiltshire 26 0.19x
Selkirkshire 25 1.77x
Roxburghshire 22 0.78x
Suffolk 20 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 18 0.58x
Kirkcudbrightshire 18 0.80x
Denbighshire 16 0.27x
Peeblesshire 14 1.91x
Westmorland 14 0.41x
Berwickshire 13 0.69x
Dorset 12 0.12x
Kinross-shire 12 3.04x
Montgomeryshire 11 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.16x
Clackmannanshire 10 0.78x
Royal Navy 10 0.54x
Brecknockshire 8 0.26x
Merionethshire 6 0.21x
Buteshire 5 0.53x
Flintshire 5 0.12x
Inverness-shire 5 0.11x
Isle of Man 3 0.10x
Kincardineshire 3 0.16x
Anglesey 2 0.07x
Banffshire 2 0.06x
Channel Islands 2 0.04x
Ross-shire 2 0.05x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Orkney 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.02x
Sutherland 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. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 398 Mortons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.19x.

Place Total Index
Govan 398 3.19x
Barony 362 2.83x
Loudoun 334 118.85x
Sheffield 268 5.44x
Nether Hallam 182 8.69x
Manchester 167 2.00x
Aston 157 1.45x
Ecclesall Bierlow 157 4.99x
Glasgow 154 1.72x
Leeds 142 1.63x
Birmingham 141 1.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 127 1.51x
Liverpool 121 1.08x
Islington London 114 0.75x
Kilmarnock 104 7.48x
St Pancras London 99 0.79x
Falkirk 96 7.12x
Hunslet 90 3.73x
Salford 90 1.65x
Brightside Bierlow 88 2.90x
Lambeth 85 0.62x
Westoe 85 3.23x
Camberwell 84 0.84x
Halifax 84 3.70x
Everton 76 1.29x
Cambusnethan 73 6.51x
Toxteth Park 70 1.12x
Bethnal Green London 69 1.02x
West Derby 69 1.27x
Nottingham St Mary 67 1.23x
South Leith 67 2.85x
Stainland Cum Old 67 25.31x
Dundee 66 1.22x
Oldham 62 1.04x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 60 4.16x
Bishopwearmouth 60 1.50x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 59 15.12x
Bothwell 56 4.09x
Dunfermline 56 3.94x
Hackney London 56 0.64x
Longwood 56 22.46x
Rastrick 56 13.03x
Heckmondwike 54 10.85x
Shoreditch London 54 0.80x
Blackburn 52 1.05x
Eckington 52 8.76x
Newington 52 0.90x
St Marylebone London 52 0.62x
Galston 51 15.96x
Holy Trinity 51 1.37x
Kensington London 51 0.59x
Kirkdale 51 1.64x
Wolverhampton 51 1.26x
Worsley 50 4.38x
Dalziel 47 8.65x
Maryhill 47 4.75x
St George Hanover 47 2.31x
Derby St Werburgh 46 3.26x
Liversedge 46 6.68x
West Ham 44 0.65x
Hulme 43 1.11x
March 43 12.98x
Carluke 42 9.16x
Hamilton 42 2.98x
Middleton In Teesdale 42 34.26x
Ashton Under Lyne 41 1.01x
Birkenhead 40 1.46x
Dukinfield 40 2.51x
Renfrew 40 10.01x
Sculcoates 39 1.59x
Sorn 39 16.99x
Mile End Old Town 38 1.54x
Rawmarsh 38 6.95x
Barton Upon Irwell 37 2.65x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 37 2.67x
Ayr 36 6.53x
Liff Benvie 36 1.64x
Rowley Regis 36 2.45x
Sunninghill 36 22.14x
Wooldale 36 13.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 34 0.61x
Tynemouth 34 2.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 814
Elizabeth 460
Sarah 456
Ann 259
Jane 243
Annie 211
Alice 193
Emma 177
Ellen 162
Eliza 157
Hannah 143
Margaret 142
Emily 117
Martha 114
Maria 76
Charlotte 72
Ada 71
Clara 71
Louisa 69
Fanny 68
Harriet 61
Edith 60
Florence 60
Isabella 56
Lucy 53
Kate 50
Anne 45
Caroline 45
Agnes 41
Eleanor 39
Jessie 39
Rose 38
Frances 36
Esther 34
Harriett 34
Catherine 33
Susan 29
Gertrude 28
Rebecca 27
Julia 24
Minnie 24
Amelia 22
Amy 22
Grace 22
Ethel 20
Laura 20
Ruth 20
Elizth. 19
Helen 19
Matilda 19

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 745
William 685
George 415
Thomas 415
James 391
Joseph 254
Henry 238
Charles 229
Robert 180
Edward 149
Arthur 115
Alfred 98
Frederick 91
Samuel 91
Albert 87
Richard 80
Walter 76
David 63
Harry 61
Herbert 60
Frank 55
Benjamin 50
Ernest 41
Wm. 40
Francis 38
Fred 37
Andrew 35
Edwin 30
Thos. 22
Ralph 21
Isaac 19
Matthew 18
Tom 18
Alexander 17
Daniel 17
Percy 16
Edmund 14
Hugh 14
Peter 14
Chas. 13
Geo. 13
Willm. 13
Frederic 12
Joe 12
Mark 12
Sidney 12
Christopher 10
Jas. 10
Joshua 10
Willie 10

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 Morton households.

FAQ

Morton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,044 people were recorded with the Morton surname. That placed it at #246 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 22,023 in 2016. That gives Morton a modern rank of #269.

What does the Morton surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "moor town" or "marsh settlement."

What does the Morton map show?

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