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Morris (surname)

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Morris is a surname of various origins though mostly of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh origin. The name in some cases can be of German origin and even an Americanization of several Jewish surnames.[1] The surname ranked 53 out of 88,799 in the United States and 32 out of 500 in England and Wales.[2]

Origins

Britain

In England and Scotland, the name can be derived from the Old French personal name Maurice which was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It can also be derived from the Latin Mauritius, a derivative of Maurus. This name was used by several early Christian saints. The first Morrises in the British Isles were recorded as living in the bordering counties of Monmouthshire, Wales and Herefordshire, England by the Norman Conquest of 1066 CE.[3] In Wales, Morris is an Anglicisation of the Welsh personal name Meurig (ultimately derived from Latin Mauritius).[1] Additionally the name Morris is of Anglo-Norman origin deriving from the 'de Marisco' line. In some instances the surnames Morris has been seen to derive from Morres which is the plural topographical name for a 'family living on the Morre' (moors). It is not a coincidence that the greatest concentration of the Morris name in England is found around Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; a county where topographical and placename surnames dominate.

Ireland

Morris (Ó Muiris in Irish) was introduced to Ireland by the Normans, along with the variant Fitzmaurice (Mac Muiris). A branch of these Morrises moved to Galway in 1485 CE and later became one of the Tribes of Galway. The name may also have been an abbreviation of Morrissey (Ó Muireasa), a branch of the Uí Fiachrach clan.

Germany

In some cases Morris is of German origin, as a variant of the German name Moritz.

Notable people with the surname "Morris"

Disambiguation of common given names with this surname

Arts and letters

Education

Politics, law, and government

Sciences

Sports

Other

Characters

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Morris Name Meaning and Origin Retrieved on 2007-12-31
  2. ^ Behind the Name: Morris Retrieved on 2009-04-16
  3. ^ url=http://www.houseofnames.com/fc.asp?sId=&s=morris
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