NameCensus.

UK surname

Motherwell

A locational surname originating from a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 216 people recorded with the Motherwell surname, ranking it #12,222 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 301, ranked #14,696, down from #12,222 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Carnwadric West and Dalbeattie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Motherwell is 309 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.4%.

1881 census count

216

Ranked #12,222

Modern count

301

2016, ranked #14,696

Peak year

2010

309 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Motherwell had 216 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,222 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016, ranked #14,696.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 268 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Motherwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Motherwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Motherwell 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 186 #12,751
1881 historical 216 #12,222
1891 historical 230 #13,494
1901 historical 268 #12,553
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 284 #14,006
1998 modern 280 #14,550
1999 modern 272 #14,912
2000 modern 271 #14,910
2001 modern 267 #14,839
2002 modern 274 #14,849
2003 modern 267 #14,950
2004 modern 265 #15,110
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 261 #15,289
2007 modern 271 #15,042
2008 modern 275 #15,036
2009 modern 292 #14,700
2010 modern 309 #14,420
2011 modern 308 #14,356
2012 modern 296 #14,635
2013 modern 296 #14,876
2014 modern 299 #14,880
2015 modern 295 #14,935
2016 modern 301 #14,696

Geography

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Where Motherwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Carnwadric West, Dalbeattie, Glenwood South and Kilsyth East and Croy. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Carnwadric West Glasgow City
3 Dalbeattie Dumfries and Galloway
4 Glenwood South Glasgow City
5 Kilsyth East and Croy North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Motherwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Motherwell

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Motherwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Motherwell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Motherwell 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

Motherwell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Motherwell

The surname Motherwell originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the town of Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, which takes its name from a religious well dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Motherwell is a locational surname, indicating that the initial bearers of the name hailed from the town or its surrounding areas. The town's name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "modor" meaning mother, and "welle" meaning well or spring.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Motherwell can be found in the "Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland" from 1548, which mentions a John Motherwell. Another early record is from the "Retours of Services of Heirs" from 1644, listing a William Motherwell.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure named William Motherwell (1797-1835) emerged. He was a Scottish antiquarian, poet, and writer, best known for his collection of ballads and traditional songs called "Minstrelsy, Ancient and Modern."

Another prominent individual with the Motherwell surname was David Motherwell (1824-1904), a Scottish-born American physician and medical writer. He was a pioneer in the field of medical jurisprudence and served as the President of the American Medical Association in 1884.

In the 20th century, the name gained further recognition through the Scottish artist and writer William Johnstone Motherwell (1909-1991), known for his abstract expressionist paintings and his involvement in the Scottish Renaissance literary movement.

The surname Motherwell has also been associated with the town's football club, Motherwell F.C., founded in 1886. The club's nickname, "The Well," is a direct reference to the town's historic well and the origin of its name.

While the Motherwell surname is most prevalent in Scotland, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States, Canada, and other countries with Scottish diaspora populations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Motherwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Motherwell 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 126 Motherwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.49x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 126 18.49x
Stirlingshire 29 37.32x
Midlothian 13 4.61x
Renfrewshire 10 6.12x
Ayrshire 9 5.71x
Suffolk 7 2.73x
Northumberland 6 1.91x
Dunbartonshire 3 5.30x
Perthshire 3 3.17x
Yorkshire 3 0.14x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.03x
Sussex 2 0.56x
Hampshire 1 0.23x
Lancashire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 50 Motherwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.99x.

Place Total Index
Barony 50 28.99x
Govan 29 17.21x
New Monkland 23 114.20x
Glasgow 20 16.53x
Kilsyth 14 282.83x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 9.69x
Abbey 9 36.13x
Campsie 9 211.27x
Bury St Edmunds St James 7 102.19x
Ayr 6 80.65x
Falkirk 5 27.49x
Amble 4 279.72x
Gorbals 4 99.01x
Kilmarnock 3 15.98x
Logie 3 88.50x
New Kilpatrick 3 55.66x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 4.91x
Broadwater 2 24.54x
Dilston 2 1333.33x
Edinburgh Greenside 2 53.62x
Elland Cum Greetland 2 21.25x
Mearns 1 34.97x
Penistone 1 61.35x
Prestwich 1 16.03x
South Stoneham 1 10.67x
Strathblane 1 103.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 2
Alice 1
C.E.T. 1
Ellen 1
Janie 1
Jeannie 1
Marion 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
James 2
Charles 1
David 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 Motherwell households.

FAQ

Motherwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Motherwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 216 people were recorded with the Motherwell surname. That placed it at #12,222 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Motherwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 301 in 2016. That gives Motherwell a modern rank of #14,696.

What does the Motherwell surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

What does the Motherwell map show?

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