2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Morledge
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of the same name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Morledge. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morledge surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Morledge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Morledge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morledge
The surname Morledge originates from England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" and "lecg" meaning "ridge," suggesting the name's association with individuals residing near a moor or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "de Morlegh." This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time.
During the medieval period, the name Morledge was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is possible that the name originated as a topographic descriptor for individuals living near specific geographic features, such as moorlands or ridges.
While the Morledge surname does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, it is mentioned in several historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, John de Morlegh was listed as a landholder in Yorkshire in 1285, and Richard de Morlegh was recorded as a freeman in Lancashire in 1332.
Notable individuals bearing the Morledge surname throughout history include:
1. William Morledge (1550-1621), an English merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, known for his philanthropic endeavors in supporting local churches and schools.
2. Thomas Morledge (1670-1748), a prominent clockmaker from Lancashire, renowned for his intricate timepiece designs and contributions to the field of horology.
3. Elizabeth Morledge (1720-1795), a diarist from Derbyshire, whose detailed accounts provide valuable insights into the daily lives of English gentry during the 18th century.
4. James Morledge (1832-1912), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a pioneer in the field of military engineering.
5. Catherine Morledge (1890-1976), a renowned artist and sculptor from Yorkshire, known for her innovative use of materials and her distinct style influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.
While the Morledge surname has roots in northern England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and exploration. However, its origins can be traced back to the moorlands and ridges of England's northern counties, where the name first emerged as a descriptive identifier for local residents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morledge
Among Census respondents with the surname Morledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Morledge bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Morledge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morledge
Morledge appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Morledge surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morledge bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Morledge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morledge?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Morledge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Morledge?
Morledge ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Morledge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Morledge.
Has Morledge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morledge went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Morledge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Morledge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morledge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Morledge (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Morledge mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the town of the same name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Morledge (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Morledge?
You can see how many people have the last name Morledge on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.