NameCensus.

UK surname

Murden

An English habitational surname derived from locations named Murden or Meriden.

In the 1881 census there were 510 people recorded with the Murden surname, ranking it #6,678 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 761, ranked #7,203, down from #6,678 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Ashfield and Broxtowe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Murden is 911 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.2%.

1881 census count

510

Ranked #6,678

Modern count

761

2016, ranked #7,203

Peak year

1911

911 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Murden had 510 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,678 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 761 in 2016, ranked #7,203.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 911 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Murden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Murden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Murden 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 247 #8,868
1861 historical 343 #7,444
1881 historical 510 #6,678
1891 historical 575 #6,620
1901 historical 720 #6,139
1911 historical 911 #4,901
1997 modern 796 #6,559
1998 modern 788 #6,838
1999 modern 818 #6,677
2000 modern 826 #6,608
2001 modern 790 #6,707
2002 modern 840 #6,523
2003 modern 816 #6,548
2004 modern 809 #6,609
2005 modern 777 #6,756
2006 modern 774 #6,813
2007 modern 788 #6,771
2008 modern 812 #6,659
2009 modern 811 #6,810
2010 modern 804 #6,994
2011 modern 789 #7,033
2012 modern 775 #7,041
2013 modern 790 #7,036
2014 modern 802 #6,989
2015 modern 784 #7,054
2016 modern 761 #7,203

Geography

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Where Murdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Woodhurst and Alconbury Weston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Ashfield, Broxtowe, Erewash and Salford. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Woodhurst Huntingdonshire
5 Alconbury Weston Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Ashfield 009 Ashfield
3 Broxtowe 004 Broxtowe
4 Erewash 006 Erewash
5 Salford 017 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Murden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Murden

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Murden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Murden 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

Murden falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Murden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Murden

The surname Murden is of English origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "morden," meaning "murder" or "violent death." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone involved in a violent incident or perhaps a soldier or executioner.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which mentions a Walter Morden. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by English kings to record the holdings of landowners and their tenants. The spelling variations in these early records include Morden, Mordenn, and Mordun.

In the 14th century, the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Morden is listed in 1317. This suggests that the name had spread from its likely origins in the southeast of England to other parts of the country.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Murden, a prominent military commander who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1310 and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.

Another notable figure was Richard Murden, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Kent who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he owned properties in Canterbury and surrounding areas, indicating the name's continued presence in the southeast.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of St. Dunstan's in Cranbrook, Kent, where a Thomas Murden is recorded as having been born in 1578. This suggests that the name had become well-established in the area by this time.

During the 17th century, the Murden name is found in the records of the University of Oxford, where a Thomas Murden matriculated at Christ Church in 1608. He later became a clergyman and served as the Rector of Stanmore Parva in Middlesex.

One of the more notable figures with the surname was Sir Robert Murden, a influential judge and legal scholar who lived from 1629 to 1708. He served as a Justice of the King's Bench and was renowned for his expertise in English common law.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Murden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Murden 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 201 Murdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.97x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 201 29.97x
Huntingdonshire 68 68.84x
Middlesex 48 0.96x
Cambridgeshire 29 9.20x
Lancashire 29 0.49x
Yorkshire 26 0.53x
Northamptonshire 25 5.34x
Surrey 16 0.66x
Warwickshire 15 1.20x
Derbyshire 14 1.80x
Leicestershire 9 1.63x
Hampshire 8 0.78x
Sussex 6 0.72x
Bedfordshire 3 1.16x
Essex 3 0.31x
Kent 3 0.18x
Lincolnshire 2 0.25x
Wiltshire 2 0.45x
Oxfordshire 1 0.33x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Sutherland 1 2.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plumtree in Nottinghamshire leads with 33 Murdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4647.89x.

Place Total Index
Plumtree 33 4647.89x
Nottingham St Mary 28 16.14x
Keyworth 22 1447.37x
Woodhurst 20 3571.43x
Basford 17 55.00x
Wellingborough 17 72.25x
Witchford 15 2000.00x
Alconbury Weston 14 1971.83x
Elsworth 12 1043.48x
Islington London 12 2.49x
Brinklow 10 746.27x
Greasley 10 66.09x
Beeston 9 116.88x
Battersea 8 4.37x
Bickerstaffe 8 207.25x
Newstead 8 484.85x
Radford 8 23.49x
Westminster St John 8 13.21x
Broughton In Salford 7 12.97x
Great Stukeley 7 985.92x
Nottingham St Nicholas 7 76.67x
Portsea 7 3.50x
Snenton 7 26.57x
St George Hanover 7 10.78x
Bulwell 6 41.15x
Camberwell 6 1.89x
Glatton Holme 6 1111.11x
Selston 6 80.11x
Southcoates 6 21.92x
St Anne Soho London 6 21.12x
Stanton On Wolds 6 3333.33x
Sutton In Ashfield 6 41.24x
Blackwell 5 130.55x
Carlton 5 65.36x
Cocking 5 510.20x
Cotgrave 5 357.14x
Holy Trinity 5 4.22x
Kenilworth 5 70.72x
Old Weston 5 892.86x
Queniborough 5 531.91x
St Marylebone London 5 1.88x
York St Lawrence 5 97.28x
Heanor 4 34.33x
Huntingdon St John 4 139.86x
Salford 4 2.30x
Sutton 4 71.17x
Worsbrough 4 27.70x
Chilwell 3 168.54x
Codnor Loscoe 3 48.62x
Eye 3 133.93x
Flintham 3 461.54x
Gorton 3 5.41x
Hartford 3 461.54x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.23x
Nottingham St Peter 3 40.11x
Roydon 3 208.33x
Ruddington 3 66.67x
St Ives 3 58.59x
Woodborough 3 198.68x
Accrington 2 3.73x
Eaton Socon 2 49.51x
Farnworth 2 5.65x
Fen Stanton 2 109.89x
Finchley 2 10.49x
Hendon 2 11.17x
Marlborough St Peter St 2 88.50x
Sevenoaks 2 14.53x
South Rauceby 2 303.03x
Bingham 1 35.09x
Bunny 1 222.22x
Burton Upon Trent 1 2.55x
Great Staughton 1 52.08x
Higham Ferrers 1 39.37x
Leighton 1 175.44x
Loughborough 1 4.00x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 4.20x
Southwark St Saviour 1 3.91x
St Pancras London 1 0.25x
Witney 1 19.46x
Wymington 1 119.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 40
Elizabeth 22
Sarah 21
Eliza 11
Annie 9
Emma 9
Hannah 9
Jane 8
Ann 7
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Kate 5
Ada 4
Caroline 4
Bertha 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Harriett 3
Lucy 3
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Flora 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Marie 2
Martha 2
Naomi 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clemence 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Georgianna 1
Gertrude 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Keziah 1
Lena 1
Lewisa 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
William 35
George 23
James 15
Thomas 15
Charles 12
Samuel 12
Edward 10
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Frederick 7
Alfred 6
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Robert 4
Edwin 3
Harry 3
Martin 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Earnest 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Felix 2
Herbert 2
Herman 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Wright 2
Ann 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Isaac 1
Jethro 1
Kovah 1
Lancelot 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
S.F. 1
Selina 1
Thos.Hy. 1
W. 1
Wilfrid 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Murden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Murden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 510 people were recorded with the Murden surname. That placed it at #6,678 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Murden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 761 in 2016. That gives Murden a modern rank of #7,203.

What does the Murden surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from locations named Murden or Meriden.

What does the Murden map show?

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