Morris
A widespread surname that usually comes from Maurice, but in Wales and Ireland it can also reflect native Gaelic names that were anglicized to Morris.
The #62 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 968 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In most cases, Morris developed as a surname from the personal name Maurice, ultimately from Latin Mauricius, meaning “Moorish” or “dark-skinned.” That makes it a patronymic surname at heart: “son of Maurice” or “descendant of Maurice.” The form also absorbed several related spellings such as Morrice, Morice, and Morrish, and it can appear in patronymic derivatives like Morrison and Morson.
History
The name became common in England after the Norman period, when Maurice was widely used as a given name. In Wales and Ireland, Morris was also often adopted as an English-style equivalent for native surnames, especially forms related to Welsh or Irish Gaelic names. Because of this, many Morris families do not share a single origin, and the surname has several independent lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is so widespread that 19th-century writers already noted it as belonging to multiple different family types, not just one ancestral line.
From the historical record
“MORRICE MORRIS [= Maurice, q.v. MORRISS MORRISH MORRIN = Morin, q.v. MORRISEY WCelt.) for O'Morrisy, Descen- MORRISSAyI dant of Muirg(h)eas = Sea MORRISSEY Charm or Conjuration [Ir. MORRISSY I O'Muirgheasa- 6 or wa, grand-”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)