NameCensus.

UK surname

Morwood

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "moor wood" or forest.

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Morwood surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Aukborough and Kirknewton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morwood is 159 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.9%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

2000

159 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Morwood had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Morwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Morwood surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Morwood 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 152 #21,294
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 145 #22,289
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 142 #24,182
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 126 #26,585
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

Back to top

Where Morwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Aukborough, Kirknewton, Govan Combination and Winterton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, North Lincolnshire and Cornwall. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Aukborough Lincolnshire
3 Kirknewton Edinburgh
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Winterton Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
2 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire
3 North Lincolnshire 021 North Lincolnshire
4 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
5 Cornwall 002 Cornwall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Morwood

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Morwood

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Morwood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Morwood household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Morwood is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Morwood 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

Morwood falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Morwood

The surname Morwood originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" and "wudu" meaning "wood," suggesting it referred to someone who lived near a wooded moorland area. The earliest known spelling of the name was Morewude, found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Willelmus de Morewude, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1235. The Morwood family had connections to several villages in Northamptonshire, including Morwood and Morwood Green, which likely took their names from the family.

In the 13th century, a branch of the Morwood family was established in Yorkshire, where they held lands and manors. Sir John Morwood (c. 1280-1348) was a notable member of this branch, serving as a knight and landowner in the region.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Morwood surname, as it predates the widespread use of hereditary surnames in England. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Morewood in Derbyshire and Morewode in Oxfordshire, which may have been associated with the name's origins.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Morwood surname appeared in various records across England, including parish registers and tax rolls. Notable individuals from this period include Thomas Morwood (1558-1609), a clergyman and author from Huntingdonshire, and William Morwood (1622-1689), a merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, several Morwood families emigrated from England to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One prominent figure was Sir Reginald Morwood (1794-1872), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and was knighted for his services.

Other notable individuals with the Morwood surname include George Morwood (1843-1919), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire, and Sir Walter Morwood (1869-1946), a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Morwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morwood 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. Lanarkshire leads with 17 Morwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.86x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 17 5.86x
Lincolnshire 15 10.45x
Yorkshire 15 1.69x
Warwickshire 13 5.74x
Surrey 10 2.29x
Middlesex 8 0.89x
Staffordshire 6 1.98x
Angus 3 3.61x
Hampshire 3 1.63x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.69x

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 14 Morwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.50x.

Place Total Index
Govan 14 19.50x
Camberwell 7 12.21x
Nether Whitacre 6 3333.33x
Canwell 5 50000.00x
Edgbaston 5 71.23x
Howsham 4 8000.00x
Paddington London 4 12.12x
Sculcoates 4 28.37x
Whitton 4 6666.67x
Winterton 4 816.33x
Barony 3 4.08x
Chale 3 1428.57x
Dundee 3 9.66x
Lambeth 3 3.83x
South Ferriby 3 1304.35x
York St John Micklegate 3 1428.57x
North Ferriby 2 1333.33x
Scotter 2 606.06x
St George Hanover 2 17.08x
Alkborough 1 833.33x
Aston 1 1.60x
Barnsley 1 10.91x
Bishop Norton 1 909.09x
Clevedon 1 66.67x
Colne 1 31.55x
Kensington London 1 2.00x
Lea Marston 1 1111.11x
St Marylebone London 1 2.09x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.11x
Wortley In Bramley 1 14.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Annie 4
Charlotte 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Margaret 2
Ada 1
Alicia 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Elzbth. 1
Geogina 1
Hannah 1
Hariet 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 7
William 6
John 5
Henry 2
Edward 1
Fridk. 1
Geo. 1
George 1
H. 1
Lewis 1
Thomas 1
Vernon 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 Morwood households.

FAQ

Morwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Morwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Morwood surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Morwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Morwood a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Morwood surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "moor wood" or forest.

What does the Morwood map show?

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