Find out how popular the last name Mort is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Mort.

Mort, 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 Mort surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mort in America

Mort is the 11411th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mort surname appeared 2,762 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mort.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mort 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.

The history of the last name Mort

The surname MORT originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "mort," meaning "dead," which in turn comes from the Latin word "mors," also meaning "death." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked in a profession related to death, such as a gravedigger or an undertaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname MORT can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a person named William Mort residing in the county of Essex. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family named MORT residing in the village of Mortlake, located in the county of Surrey. The name of the village itself is derived from the Old English words "mort" and "lac," meaning "dead lake" or "lake of the dead." It is possible that the MORT family took their surname from this place name.

One notable figure bearing the surname MORT was John Mort, a wealthy merchant and politician who lived in the 16th century. Born in 1504, Mort served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1555 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir John Mort, a British naval officer who lived in the 18th century (1718-1796). He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Greenwich Hospital and was knighted for his service to the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, a notable figure named Richard Mort (1796-1868) was a successful industrialist and iron manufacturer from Manchester, England. He played a significant role in the development of the city's industrial infrastructure.

The surname MORT also appears in the writings of William Shakespeare. In his play "Hamlet," the character Ophelia mentions a "Mort o' th' field," which is a term used to refer to a person who has died in battle or in the open field.

While the surname MORT originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries that were former British colonies. However, its historical roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with professions or places related to death.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mort

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Mort.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Mort was:

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 Mort has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Mort was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mort, please contact us.

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