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Morris Name Meaning, Origins & History

Morris

Pronunciation: MOR-is

Meaning Moorish; dark-skinned Origin Old French, surnames Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#1,762
TREND
106
Peak Years
1918, 1921, 1915
Lowest Years
1883, 1880, 1884
Energy Archetype
Hardworking & Dutiful

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Morris in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Morris

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Morris appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 13 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1919 through 1919.
  • More than 71 thousand babies named Morris: U.S. records list 71,484 babies given the name Morris from 1880 through 2025. Even 483 girls received the name Morris - about 1 girl for every 147 boys.

What Does the Name Morris Mean?

Morris is an English form of the name Maurice, which comes from the Latin Mauricius (also written Mauritius), a derivative of the Roman personal name Maurus. That name came from the Latin word Maurus, meaning "Moor" - a person from Mauretania, the North African region that covered parts of what is now Morocco and western Algeria. The literal sense of the name is therefore "Moorish" or "of the Moors." In later Latin usage the same root also carried the sense "dark-skinned" or "swarthy," and many references give that as the name's meaning. The derivation from Maurus is not seriously disputed; the difference in wording reflects how the Latin word itself was understood at different times.

Morris Name History & Origins

The name rests on the Latin Maurus, which was used as a personal name in the Roman world. It was strengthened by Saint Maurice, a Roman military commander of the Theban Legion who, by tradition, was martyred with his soldiers near Agaunum in present-day Switzerland toward the end of the 3rd century. Devotion to him spread the name across medieval Europe. It entered England with the Normans in the form Maurice, borrowed from Old French, and Morris appeared as a distinct English form of that name.

Morris also became a common English surname, frequently formed as a patronymic from a man named Maurice or Morris, which is why the name is now familiar in both roles. In Wales, Morris was additionally used as an anglicized form of the Welsh name Meurig, which itself descends from Latin Mauricius, so some Welsh bearers of the name trace it to that Welsh line rather than to the English form of Maurice.

How Popular is the Name Morris?

Morris recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1918. Morris ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1906 through 1917, then returned in 1919 and remained through 1919.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Morris

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Past Favorite Boy Names

Past Favorite Boy Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Morris Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.

✦ Morris's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Morris's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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