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Home › Baby Names Directory › Morton

Morton

♂ Boy

Pronounced MOR-tuhn /ˈmɔːr.tən/High

Meaning: From an English surname and place name meaning 'moor town' — a settlement on or by the moor, from Old English mor ('moor') and tun ('enclosure, settlement').High

In 30 seconds: Morton is an English surname name, 'settlement on the moor' (said 'MOR-tuhn').
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Origin HighEnglish
MeaningFrom an English surname and place name meaning 'moor town' — a settlement on or by the moor, from Old English mor ('moor') and tun ('enclosure, settlement').
U.S. rank (2021)#9404 ↗ Rising
2021 U.S. births8 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1923
Total births (all-time)≈ 12,336

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192318802021

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Morton comes from an English surname and place name, 'moor town,' from Old English mor ('moor') and tun ('settlement'). Fashionable as a given name in the early twentieth century, it crested around 1923 and then declined, now a vintage, dignified surname-name.

Given to several hundred boys a year at its height, Morton now reads as a retro 1920s name.

Did you know? Morton peaked around 1923 and faded through mid-century, an Edwardian surname-name of the grandfather tier.
Overall data confidence 82%
References — Morton — English surname/place name; Old English mor + tun

Variations

MortimerMoretonMort

Nicknames

MortMorty

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Morton…

Milton— a like -ton surname name
Clifton— a like early-century -ton name
Merton— a like vintage -ton name
Macon— shares Morton's English roots
Burton— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Morton

By themevintageplace-namesurname1920s

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Morton mean?

Morton is an English surname and place name meaning 'moor town,' a settlement on the moor.

How do you pronounce Morton?

It's said MOR-tuhn /ˈmɔːr.tən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Morton a boy or girl name?

Morton is used as a boy's name.

Is Morton making a comeback?

Not notably — it's an early-twentieth-century favorite that has been uncommon since, a vintage surname-name.

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