Morley is both a surname and a given name. The name is

toponymic Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a p ...

, derived from several places in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

—from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

words "mor" ("

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

"), and "le-ah" ("a clearing in the woods"). Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Aaron Morley (born 2000), English footballer * Ada McPherson Morley (1852-1917), American suffragist and activist *

Adrian Morley Adrian Paul Morley is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and forward from the 1990s through the 2010s. A Great Britain national rugby league team, Great Britain and England national rugby league team, Engl ...

(born 1977), English rugby league footballer *

Angela Morley Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an English composer and conductor who became a familiar household name to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s. She attributed her entry into composing and arranging largely to the influence and en ...

(1924–2009), English composer and conductor * Beric Morley (1943–2015), British architectural historian * Bert Morley (1882–1957), English international footballer *

Clarence Morley Clarence Joseph Morley (February 9, 1869 – November 15, 1948) was the 24th Governor of Colorado from 1925 to 1927, serving one two-year term. He was a Republican. Before becoming governor he was a judge in Denver, Colorado. He was a member of ...

(1869–1948), American politician, 24th governor of Colorado, member of the Ku Klux Klan *

Christopher Morley Christopher Darlington Morley (May 5, 1890 – March 28, 1957) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years and gave college lectures.''Online Literature'' Biography Morley was bo ...

(1890–1957), American writer and editor *

Christopher Morley (actor) Christopher Jarman Morley (born c. 1951) is an American actor and female impersonator. He specialized in cross-dressing roles. He played numerous parts in television and movies, most known for his parts in ''Freebie and the Bean'' (1974) and ''G ...

(born 1951), American actor * David Morley (paediatrician) (1923–2009), British paediatrician * David Morley (footballer) (1977), Retired British Footballer *

Ebenezer Cobb Morley Ebenezer Cobb Morley (16 August 1831 – 20 November 1924) was an English sportsman. He is regarded as one of the fathers of the Football Association (FA) and modern football. Early life Morley was born at 10 Garden Square, Princess Street in ...

(1831–1924), English sportsman regarded as the father of the Football Association and modern football *

Edith Morley Edith Julia Morley, (13 September 1875–18 January 1964) was a literary scholar and activist. She was the main twentieth century editor of the works of Henry Crabb Robinson. She was a Professor of English Language at University College, Readin ...

(1875–1964), English literary scholar * Edward W. Morley (1838–1923), American scientist * Elizabeth Morley, 18th-century English silversmith *

Elliot Morley Elliot Anthony Morley (born 6 July 1952) is a British former Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glanford and Scunthorpe from 1987 to 1997 and then Scunthorpe from 1997 to 2010. In 2009, he was accused by ''The D ...

(born 1952), former English politician *

Eric Morley Eric Douglas Morley (26 September 1918 – 9 November 2000) was a British TV host and the founder of the Miss World pageant and ''Come Dancing'' TV programme. His wife, Julia Morley, is now head of the pageant and his son Steve Douglas is one of ...

(1918–2000), British founder of the Miss World pageant *

Felix Morley Felix Muskett Morley (January 6, 1894 – March 13, 1982) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and college administrator from the United States. Biography Morley was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, his father being the mathematician Frank Mo ...

(1894–1982), American journalist *

Frank Morley Frank Morley (September 9, 1860 – October 17, 1937) was a leading mathematician, known mostly for his teaching and research in the fields of algebra and geometry. Among his mathematical accomplishments was the discovery and proof of the celebr ...

(1860–1937), British mathematician *

Fred Morley Frederick Morley (16 December 1850 – 28 September 1884) was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime. During a 13-year career for Nottinghamshire and England he took 1,274 wickets at an ...

(1850–1884), British cricketer *

George Morley George Morley, 27 February 1598 to 29 October 1684, was a senior member of the Church of England from London, who served as Bishop of Worcester from 1660 to 1662, and of Winchester from 1662 to 1684. Early life Morley was born in London, Eng ...

(1598–1684), English Anglican bishop *

Harry Morley Harry Morley (5 April 1881 – 18 September 1943) was a British painter, etcher and engraver known for his classical and mythological compositions. Early life Morley was born in Leicester where he studied at the Alderman Newton's School and t ...

(1881–1943), British artist *

Henry Morley Henry Morley (15 September 1822 – 14 May 1894) was an English academic who was one of the earliest professors of English literature in Great Britain. Morley wrote a popular book containing biographies of famous English writers. Life The son o ...

(1822–1894), British writer *

Henry Morley (cricketer) Henry Morley (2 March 1785 – 6 December 1857) was an English cricketer who played for Sussex County from 1815 to 1838, and also played one match for Kent and Sussex in 1836. A builder by trade, he was a team-mate of William Lillywhite an ...

(1785–1857), English cricketer *

Isaac Morley Isaac Morley (March 11, 1786 – June 24, 1865) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement and a contemporary of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He was one of the first converts to Smith's Church of Christ. Morley was present at ma ...

(1786–1865), American early member of the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Jo ...

Jack Morley John Cuthbert Morley (28 July 1909 – 7 March 1972) was a Welsh international Rugby football, rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport RFC, Newport and rugby league with Wigan Warriors, Wigan. He won 14 caps for Wales national rugby unio ...

(1909–1972), Welsh rugby player *

John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, (24 December 1838 – 23 September 1923) was a British Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor. Initially, a journalist in the North of England and then editor of the newly Liberal-leani ...

(1838–1923), British politician and Secretary of State for India *

John David Morley John David Morley (21 January 1948 – 18 February 2018) was an English writer and novelist. Early life The third and youngest child of the artist and sculptor Patricia Morley (née Booth) and John Arthur Elwell Morley, a District Officer in t ...

(1948–2018), English novelist *

Karen Morley Karen Morley (born Mildred Linton; December 12, 1909 – March 8, 2003) was an American film actress. Life and career Born Mildred Linton in Ottumwa, Iowa, Morley lived there until she was 13 years old. When she moved to Hollywood, she atten ...

(1909–2003), American actor and political activist *

Lawrence Morley Lawrence Whitaker Morley (February 19, 1920 – April 22, 2013) was a Canadian geophysicist and remote sensing pioneer. He was best known for his studies on the magnetic properties of the oceanic crust and their effect on plate tectonics and for ...

(born 1920), Canadian geophysicist *

Lewis Morley Lewis Frederick Morley (16 June 1925 – 3 September 2013) was a photographer. Biography Morley was born in Hong Kong to English and Chinese parents and interned in Stanley Internment Camp during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 ...

(1925–2013), English photographer *

Luke Morley Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960 in Camberwell, London, England) is the guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder from 1989 to present (with a break from 1999–2002, and 2009–2011). Previous to that he wa ...

(born 1960), English musician *

Malcolm Morley Malcolm A. Morley (June 7, 1931 – June 1, 2018) was a British-American artist and painter. He was known as an artist who pioneered in varying styles, working as a photorealist and an expressionist, among many other styles. Life Morley was ...

(born 1931), British-American artist *

Michael D. Morley Michael Darwin Morley (September 29, 1930 – October 11, 2020) was an American mathematician. At his death in 2020, Morley was professor emeritus at Cornell University. His research was in mathematical logic and model theory, and he is best know ...

(1930–2020), American mathematician *

Nathan Morley Nathan Morley (born 14 January 1974) is an investigative journalist, television news anchor, and newspaper columnist based in Finland and Cyprus. He is best known to international audiences for his live radio broadcasts on Talksport, LBC and th ...

(born 1974), British television journalist and host * P. J. Morley (1931–2012), former Irish politician * Pat Morley (footballer) (born 1965), former Irish footballer * Pat Morley, drummer for

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train (Soul Asylum song), Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rule ...

from 1983 to 1984 *

Paul Morley Paul Robert Morley is an English music journalist. He wrote for the ''New Musical Express'' from 1977 to 1983 and has since written for a wide range of publications as well as writing his own books. He was a co-founder of the record label ZTT Re ...

(born 1957), British journalist of the music scene *

Peter Morley (filmmaker) Peter Morley, OBE (26 June 1924 – 23 June 2016) was a German-born British television producer and documentary filmmaker. As a nine-year-old child, he fled Nazi Germany with his elder siblings and moved to England, where he lived until his death ...

(1924–2016), German-born British documentary filmmaker *

Robert Morley Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE (26 May 1908 – 3 June 1992) was an English actor who enjoyed a lengthy career in both Britain and the United States. He was frequently cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment, of ...

(1908–1992), British actor *

Ruth Morley Ruth Morley (November 19, 1925 – February 12, 1991) was an Austrian-born American costume designer, active from the late 1950s through 1991. She was nominated for Best Costumes-Black and White for her work on ''The Miracle Worker'' during t ...

(1925–1991), Austrian-born American costume designer * Samuel Morley (VC) (1829–1888), English recipient of the Victoria Cross *

Sean Morley Sean Allen Morley (born March 6, 1971), better known by the ring name Val Venis, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) from ...

(born 1971), Canadian wrestler * Steve Morley (born 1981), Canadian football player *

Sylvanus Morley Sylvanus Griswold Morley (June 7, 1883September 2, 1948) was an American archaeology, archaeologist and epigraphy, epigrapher who studied the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the early 20th century. Morley led extensive excavations of the Ma ...

(1883–1948), American archaeologist, epigrapher and Mayanist scholar *

Thomas Morley Thomas Morley (1557 – early October 1602) was an English composer, theorist, singer and organist of the Renaissance. He was one of the foremost members of the English Madrigal School. Referring to the strong Italian influence on the Englis ...

(1557 or 1558 – 1602), English composer *

Trevor Morley Trevor William Morley (born 20 March 1961) is an English football manager, former professional footballer and pundit. As a player, he was a striker who notably played top flight football for Manchester City and West Ham United. He also playe ...

(born 1961), English football player Given name: *

Morley Baer Morley Baer (April 5, 1916 – November 9, 1995), an American photographer and teacher, was born in Toledo, Ohio. Baer was head of the photography department at the San Francisco Art Institute, and known for his photographs of San Francisco's " ...

(1916-1995), American artist, photographer and teacher *

Morley Callaghan Edward Morley Callaghan (February 22, 1903 – August 25, 1990) was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and TV and radio personality. Biography Of Canadian/English-immigrant parentage,Clara Thomas, ''Canadian Novelists 192 ...

(1903–1990), Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright and broadcaster * Morley Griswold (1890–1951), American politician, 16th governor of Nevada *

Morley Safer Morley Safer (November 8, 1931 – May 19, 2016) was a Canadian-American broadcast journalist, reporter, and correspondent for CBS News. He was best known for his long tenure on the news magazine ''60 Minutes'', whose cast he joined in 1970 aft ...

(1931–2016), Canadian news reporter * Morley Shih (born 1950), Taiwanese lawyer * Morley (artist) (born 1982), Los Angeles street artist *

Morley (singer) Morley Kamen, known professionally as Morley, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New York City, a Jamaica, Queens native, Morley has released four studio albums, including ''Undivided'' in 2012. Biography Morley began her performing car ...

, American singer-songwriter * (モーリー・ロバートソン), American-Japanese television personality

References

{{Reflist English-language surnames English toponymic surnames

See also

References