Morley Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Morley Name Meaning: Taken form the Anglo-Saxon word 'morleah', meaning 'marsh+woodland clearing'.

A locative name given to someone who lived or worked in a march or marshy woodland clearing.

Discover how your Morley ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Morley Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Morley family

Profession Census Frequency
Living On Own Means 178
General Labourer 172
General Servant Domestic 107
Dress Maker 103
Scholar 101
Farmer 92
Coal Miner Hewer 69
Cotton Weaver 66
Cook Domestic 60
Agricultural Labourer 59
Housemaid Domestic 53
Bricklayer 50
Domestic Servant 49
Charwoman 45
Laundress Wash 42
Gardener Domestic 36
House Maid Domestic 35
Tailor 35
House Painter 32
Brick Layer 31
Railway Clerk 30
House Keeper 28
House Keeper Domestic 28
At School 28
Coal Miner C Hewer 27

Morley Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Morley 100% 87,946
2 Marley 83% 13,995
3 Murley 83% 4,213
4 Moreley 86% 2,193
5 Moorley 86% 1,704
6 Merley 83% 1,172
7 Morly 83% 978
8 Morlay 83% 490
9 Morely 67% 440
10 Moorly 67% 226
11 Marly 67% 214
12 Murly 67% 192
13 Emerly 50% 189
14 Mirley 83% 149

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The surname Morley is the most popular version of all its varients

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