Find out how popular the last name Morphew is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Morphew.
English surname derived from Old French morfe meaning "morose" or "sullen."
Morphew, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Morphew surname is from the 2010 census data.
Morphew is the 19602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Morphew surname appeared 1,376 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Morphew.
We can also compare 2010 data for Morphew to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 19602 | 18682 | 4.81% |
| Count | 1,376 | 1,359 | 1.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.47 | 0.50 | -6.19% |
The surname Morphew has its origins in England, with records showing its presence as early as the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning "moor" or "marsh" and "hoh" meaning "ridge" or "hill." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a marshy or swampy area near a ridge or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Morhowe." This document lists individuals and their landholdings, indicating that the Morphew family had established roots in the area during that time period.
The name also appears in various forms in other historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327, where it is written as "Morhewe," and the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1385, where it is recorded as "Morhowe."
In the 16th century, the name was found in various spellings, including "Morphew," "Morefewe," and "Morfew." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of regional dialects.
One notable figure bearing the Morphew name was John Morphew, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, around 1580. He served as a member of the Virginia Company of London and was involved in the early colonization efforts in Virginia.
Another individual of historical significance was William Morphew, born in Warwickshire, England, in 1650. He was a prominent architect and surveyor who contributed to the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666.
In the 18th century, the Morphew family continued to have a presence in various parts of England. For instance, Thomas Morphew, born in Gloucestershire in 1725, was a notable legal scholar and author of several treatises on English law.
Moving into the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Robert Morphew (1798-1872), a renowned civil engineer who worked on several major infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom.
Finally, a notable figure from the early 20th century was Ethel Morphew (1885-1964), an English author and poet who wrote extensively about nature and rural life. Her works, such as "The Fields of England" and "Woodland Verse," garnered critical acclaim and contributed to the literary landscape of her time.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Morphew.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Morphew was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.64% | 1,316 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 9 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.02% | 14 |
| Hispanic Origin | 1.96% | 27 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Morphew has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.64% | 96.76% | -1.16% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.59% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.81% | -21.92% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 1.03% | -0.98% |
| Hispanic | 1.96% | 0.81% | 83.03% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Morphew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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