2000
#105,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Mordue
An Anglo-Norman French habitational surname referring to someone from Mordue, Northumberland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 167 Americans carry the last name Mordue. That puts it at #123,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,052,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mordue 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 Mordue with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
167
1 in 2,052,421
Census rank
#123,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
146
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 146 bearers of the surname Mordue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mordue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mordue
The surname Mordue has its origins in England, specifically in the northern counties of Northumberland and Durham. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mor" meaning moor or marsh, and "dun" meaning hill or down, suggesting that the name's earliest bearers lived in a marshy or moorland area near a hill.
The name first appeared in historical records as early as the 12th century, with references to individuals bearing the name Mordue or variations such as Mordun or Mordune. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1195, which mentions a William de Mordun.
Interestingly, the Mordue surname is closely associated with the village of Mordue, located in the parish of Stannington, Northumberland. This village likely took its name from the same Old English roots as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the geographical features of the region.
In the 13th century, the Mordue family held lands and properties in Northumberland and Durham, as evidenced by various charters and deeds. One notable figure from this time was John de Mordue, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256.
As the centuries progressed, the Mordue name continued to appear in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of the late 17th century and the Parish Registers of Northumberland and Durham.
One prominent individual bearing the Mordue name was Robert Mordue (1715-1785), a successful merchant and landowner from Newcastle upon Tyne. He amassed significant wealth and played a vital role in the city's economic and social life.
Another noteworthy figure was John Mordue (1790-1864), a renowned architect from Newcastle upon Tyne. He designed several prominent buildings in the city, including the Royal Arcade and the Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society building.
In the 19th century, the Mordue name gained further recognition with the establishment of the Mordue Brewery in Newcastle upon Tyne. Founded by John Mordue (1799-1876), the brewery became one of the largest and most successful in the region, contributing significantly to the local economy.
As the Mordue family spread across England and beyond, the name encountered various spellings such as Mordew, Mordieu, and Mordiu, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and transcription.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mordue
Among Census respondents with the surname Mordue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mordue 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 Mordue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 9
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mordue
Mordue appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
-7 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 10,924 places
2020
#123,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
-3 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,988 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,905 | 156 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | -7 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 10,924 places |
| 2020 | #123,817 | 146 | 0.05 | -3 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 6,988 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 Mordue 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 | #116,829 | #123,817 | -6.0% |
| Count | 149 | 146 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mordue bearers went from 149 to 146 (-2.0% change). The surname moved down 6,988 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #123,817.
FAQ
Mordue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mordue?
Name Census estimates that about 167 living Americans carry the surname Mordue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,052,421 residents.
How common is Mordue?
Mordue ranks #123,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 146 people with the surname Mordue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (167), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Mordue.
Has Mordue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mordue went from 149 recorded bearers to 146. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,829 to #123,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Mordue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mordue, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Mordue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (135 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mordue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (6.2%), Black (0.7%). 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 Mordue (2000, 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 Mordue mean?
An Anglo-Norman French habitational surname referring to someone from Mordue, Northumberland. 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 Mordue (0.05 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 share the surname Mordue?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.