The Maurice One Name Study

Distribution of the Name

Prior to civil registration in 1837 the name MAURICE predominated in Wales and in the Border Counties of England. In Wales the majority of MAURICEs came from the county of Denbighshire. However, registrations started to decline there through the 19th century, and today there are only two registered MAURICE voters in that county.

A similar pattern can be found in the Border Counties of England, especially Shropshire. 179 MAURICE baptisms are recorded in the IGI for Shropshire, most of these taking place in the 18th century. Yet there were just 4 civil registrations between 1837 and 1940; and in 1999 there were just 4 voters in that county.

Overall there has been a drift from the West and North to the South and East. The civil registration figures show 3 Welsh counties in the top 12 with Glamorgan second only behind London. Lancashire and Cheshire also figure prominently. But the 1999 electoral roll shows no Welsh county except Glamorgan in the top 12, Lancashire well down and Cheshire missing altogether.

Birth Registrations 1837-1940
There were 831 birth registrations in this period in England and Wales. The following table indicates the top 12 counties of registration and the percentage of the total in each county.

 

London 22.7%
Glamorgan 16.0%
Cheshire 8.4%
Pembrokeshire 6.3%
Lancashire 5.4%
Wiltshire 3.7%
Middlesex 3.0%
Berkshire 2.5%
Sussex 2.5%
Kent 2.4%
Caernarvonshire 2.3%
Warwickshire 2.2%


1999 Electoral Roll
There were 407 persons with the surname MAURICE who were registered to vote in England and Wales in 1999. The following table indicates the top 12 counties and their percentages of the total.

London 21.4%
Sussex 10.3%
Surrey 8.4%
Kent 5.9%
Middlesex 5.2%
Glamorgan 5.2%
Yorkshire 4.9%
Wiltshire 3.4%
Cambridgeshire 3.0%
Lancashire 2.7%
Gloucestershire 2.7%
Leicestershire 2.7%

 

 

Guild of One Name Studies Member 3609
John Kirkwood, 19507 Yuma St, Castro Valley CA 94546 USA