Morse
Usually an English form of Morris, with roots in the name Maurice and its medieval variants.
The #824 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,391 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Most historical sources treat Morse as a reduced or altered form of Morris, itself from Maurice. Maurice ultimately comes from the Latin name Mauricius, meaning “Moorish” or “dark-skinned.” Some 19th-century writers also linked Morse with other spellings such as Morss and Morson, showing how fluid the surname could be in records.
History
The name appears in English records in several spellings, and older genealogists often grouped it with Morris and Morrison-style forms. A few writers suggested local or place-name origins in some cases, but the common explanation is that Morse is simply a shortened patronymic form of Morris. It has remained most familiar in English-speaking countries, especially the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because older spellings were so inconsistent, the same family line could be written as Morris, Morss, or Morse in different documents.
From the historical record
“Mac Murrough. MORSE. MORSS. See Morris. IMORSON. A contraction of Morison. JIORTIIMER. This name was latinized de MoHvo Mari, and hence the notion that the name was borrowed in crusading times from the Dead Sea in Palestine. The castle and barony of Mortemer lie in the arron- dissement of Neufchatel in Normandy…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom