Origins of the Morris surname

What does the name Morris mean?

The Morris surname origin is varied, but is mostly believed to originate in the British Isles (where it is the 32nd most common name in England and Wales and has been found in the border between these countries as early as the Norman Conquest of 1066). Morris is thought to most often be a patronymic name, referring to the personal name 'Maurice' in England and Scotland, or 'Meurig' in Wales. The surname Morris can also sometimes be derived from someone who lived on the moors. In English-speaking countries it can also be seen as an anglicisation of the German name 'Moritz'.

Alternative variations of the name Morris

Morris, Morriss, Moriss, Morice, Morrice

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Delve deeper into the Morris family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1596North West 2804Isle of Man 42Yorkshire 4037East Midlands 1507West Midlands 5127East 2225London 13662South East 4532South West 8630South Wales 2696Mid Wales 2257West Wales 380North Wales 2078Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Morrises lived in london

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Interesting facts about Morris

How common is your surname?

39th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Morris surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Morrises most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Morrises.

What are the most common Morris first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Morris family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Morrises

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

Common female occupations for Morrises in 1921

Dressmaker

3,043

Domestic Servant

1,837

General Servant Domestic

1,656

Laundress

1,582

General Servant

1,427

Common male occupations for Morrises in 1921

Coal Miner

4,076

Farmer

2,738

General Labourer

2,576

Agricultural Labourer

2,486

Coal Miner Hewer

1,894

We found over 710,000 family trees with the Morris surname

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