Morton Family History

Morton Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: habitational name from any of the many places called Mor(e)ton named with Old English mōr ‘moor’ + tūn ‘farmstead estate’. There has probably been some confusion with Morten and perhaps also with Murton. This English name has also been established in Ireland since the 13th century.

American shortened and altered form of Swedish Mårtensson or Mortensson (see Martenson and Mortenson) which could also be substituted for the Finnish cognate Marttinen.

French: shortened form of Moreton French: habitational name from a place so named in Vienne.

Jewish: adopted for one or more like-sounding Jewish names (for example Mordecai).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Murton, Norton, Horton, Marton, Merton, Orton, Forton, Lorton, Worton, Gorton

3 million record(s) for Morton

822K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
102K	Military Records
97K	Immigration Records
618K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Where is the Morton family from?

You can see how Morton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Morton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Morton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 130 Morton families living in New York. This was about 12% of all the recorded Morton's in USA. New York had the highest population of Morton families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Morton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Morton ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Morton. 15% of Morton men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Morton women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Morton were Truck driver and Teacher.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Laborer

15%

Farmer

14%

Salesman

5%

Truck driver

3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Maid

8%

Housewife

6%

Housekeeper

6%

Teacher

6%

What Morton family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 618K census records available for the last name Morton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Morton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 97K immigration records available for the last name Morton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 102K military records available for the last name Morton. For the veterans among your Morton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Morton lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Morton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Morton in 1940 was 31, and 75 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Morton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.