Morales
A Spanish surname meaning “of the mulberry trees” or “from the mulberry grove,” originally tied to a place name.
The #63 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 990 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Morales is the plural form of Spanish moral, “mulberry tree,” from Latin morus. As a surname, it likely began as a locational name for someone who lived near mulberry trees or came from a place called Morales. In Spanish naming practice, the plural ending often points to a place-name origin rather than a simple descriptive nickname.
History
The surname is very common in Spain and across the Spanish-speaking world, and it spread widely to the Americas through colonization and later migration. It is also found in forms tied to many localities named Morales in Spain and Latin America. Because the word moral also means “moral,” older writers sometimes created folk explanations, but the onomastic origin is generally botanical and locational.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is not related to English “moral” in the ethical sense; it comes from the mulberry tree.
From the historical record
“Moraleja. El sentido moral de una fábula, apólogo, etc. Morales. Plural de moral. Morata. | ícese de un poema relativo a las costumbres. Moratorio. Que sirve para demorar.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos