MORLEY
Morley is an English surname of locational origin, deriving from the Old English words mor, meaning marsh, moor or fen, and leah, meaning clearing or meadow. The name therefore denotes a dweller by the marsh or moor meadow. It is a typified English habitational surname.
The initial occurrences of the name are connected with several places called Morley in England – Cheshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Norfolk and West Yorkshire – as well as the settlement of Moreleigh in Devon. The Olde English form was Morleah, later rendered as Morlay and spelled in various ways such as Moorley, Morale, and Mowrley in historical records.
Documentary evidence of the surname dates back to the early thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire a Adam de Morlay is listed in 1319, during the reign of King Edward I (Edward of Caernarfon, 1307‑1327). Two further poll‑tax entries appear in 1378 and 1379, recording Johannes Morelay and Adam de Morlay respectively. These are the earliest surviving instances of the name in written form.
The surname continued to appear in parish registers. A christening of Catherine Mowrley took place at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, on 31 December 1551, and a marriage record of Alice Morley and David Russell was entered at Tottenham on 25 October 1562.
Notable bearers include George Morley (1596‑1684), who served as bishop of Winchester, and 19th‑century emigrants such as James and Alexander Morley, who departed Liverpool aboard the Robert‑Marks for New York on 25 May 1846 during a period of famine‑driven emigration.
Throughout its history the Morley surname has been firmly rooted in the English linguistic and cultural milieu. Its survival across centuries from the Old English linguistic period to the present day makes it a classic example of a durable locational family name.
Typical given names associated with the Morley surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Carol
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Joanne
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Marley
- Marelli
- Marlay
- Marl
- Mearley
- Marrley
- Marely
- Marlly
- Marly
- Marlie
- Morely
- Morle
- Mauley
- Merley
- Merly
- Mirley
- Morelee
- Moreley
- Moreli
- Morelis
- Morell
- Morelli
- Morily
- Morl
- Morlay
- Morlee
- Morlie
- Morlley
- Morly
- Mourley
- Murley
- Murly
- Marli
- Merl
- Merli
- Merrlies
- Moorley
- Morally
- Morella
- Morla
- Morleo
- Mornley
- Morpley
- Morsley
- Mortley
- Mouerley
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Morley in...
Braille
⠍⠕⠗⠇⠑⠽
Morse
-----.-..-...-.--
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Morley are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 23,387 people named Morley in the UK. That makes it the 358th most common surname in Britain. Around 359 in a million people in Britain are named Morley.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Morley
- Eliza Jane Taylor-Cotter Morley - Australian actress
- Robert Morley - Actor (1908 to 1992)
- Bob Morley - Australian actor
- Max Morley - Cricketer
- Angela Morley - Composer, conductor (1924 to 2009)
- Ken Morley - Actor
- Sheridan Morley - Writer, actor and broadcaster (1941 to 2007)
- Paul Morley - Journalist
- Julia Morley - Model
- Tony Morley - England international football player
- Carol Morley - Film director
- Eric Morley - Impresario and businessman (1918 to 2000)
- Trevor Morley - Football player
- Elliot Morley - Politician
- Adrian Morley - Rugby league football player
- Peter Morley - Television producer and documentary filmmaker (1924 to 2016)
- Luke Morley - Musician
- Malcolm Morley - Artist (1931 to 2018)
- Lewis Morley - Photographer (1925 to 2013)
- John Morley - Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor (1838 to 1923)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.