Origins of the Norris surname

What does the name Norris mean?

The origin of the Norris surname is English, with Anglo-Norman roots. There are two main hypothesised sources of the name. Firstly it is thought to be a descriptive term relating to anyone who comes from the North ('Nourse' or 'Noreis') and their lineage. It could also be an occupational name from the Middle English 'Norice' and refer to someone who undertook the duties of a nurse and their descendants.

Alternative variations of the name Norris

Norris, Noris, Norries, Norrise, Norise

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Delve deeper into the Norris family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 208North West 177Isle of Man 20Yorkshire 494East Midlands 210West Midlands 319East 762London 3440South East 1761South West 598South Wales 202Mid Wales 45West Wales 1North Wales 28Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Norrises lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

24,000 Norris Travel & migration records
130,000 Norrises found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Norris

How common is your surname?

286th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Norris surname. The oldest one dates back to 1538.

Who were Norrises most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Norrises.

What are the most common Norris first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Norris family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Norrises

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Norrises in 1921

Dressmaker

544

Laundress

463

Cotton Weaver

460

Domestic Servant

317

General Servant Domestic

301

Commmon male occupations for Norrises in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

559

General Labourer

541

Carpenter

374

Farm Labourer

357

Bricklayer

332

We found over 180,000 family trees with the Norris surname

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