Morris is a surname of various origins though mostly of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh origin. The name in some cases can be of German origin and even an Americanization of several Jewish surnames. The surname ranked 53 out of 88,799 in the United States and 32 out of 500 in England and Wales.
In England and Scotland, the name can be derived from the Old French personal name Maurice which was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It can also be derived from the Latin Mauritius, a derivative of Maurus. This name was used by several early Christian saints. The first Morrises in the British Isles were recorded as living in the bordering counties of Monmouthshire, Wales and Herefordshire, England by the Norman Conquest of 1066 CE. In Wales, Morris is an Anglicisation of the Welsh personal name Meurig (ultimately derived from Latin Mauritius). Additionally the name Morris is of Anglo-Norman origin deriving from the 'de Marisco' line. In some instances the surnames Morris has been seen to derive from Morres which is the plural topographical name for a 'family living on the Morre' (moors). It is not a coincidence that the greatest concentration of the Morris name in England is found around Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire; a county where topographical and placename surnames dominate.
Ireland
Morris (Ó Muiris in Irish) was introduced to Ireland by the Normans, along with the variant Fitzmaurice (Mac Muiris). A branch of these Morrises moved to Galway in 1485 CE and later became one of the Tribes of Galway. The name may also have been an abbreviation of Morrissey (Ó Muireasa), a branch of the Uí Fiachrach clan.
In some cases Morris is of German origin, as a variant of the German name Moritz.
Chris Morris (disambiguation)
Edward Morris (disambiguation), or Ed Morris
James Morris (disambiguation)
Jim Morris (disambiguation)
Joseph Morris (disambiguation)
John Morris (disambiguation), or Johnny Morris
Marcus Morris (disambiguation)
Paul Morris (disambiguation)
Robert Morris (disambiguation)
Steve Morris (disambiguation)
Stephen Morris (disambiguation)
Thomas Morris (disambiguation)
Arts and letters
Mrs. Charles H. Morris, the married name of Lelia N. Morris (1862–1929), American hymnwriter
Errol Morris (born 1948), American documentary film director
Garrett Morris (born 1937), American actor and comedian
Greg Morris (1933–1996), American actor
Greg Morris (organist) (born 1976), English organist
Heather Morris (born 1987), American actor
Karen Joy Morris aka Karen Mok (born 1970), Hong Kong actor and singer-songwriter
Lelia N. Morris (Mrs. Charles H. Morris, 1862–1929), American hymn writer
Lewis Morris (poet) (1833–1907), British poet of the Anglo-Welsh school
Mark Morris (choreographer), American choreographer
Mary Morris (1915–1988), British actor
Matt Morris (musician) (born 1979), American musician
Russell Morris (born 1948), Australian singer-songwriter
Ruthie Morris (born 1964), musician
Sarah Jane Morris (singer), English singer
Sarah Jane Morris (actress)
Wanya Morris (born 1973), American R&B singer and lead of group Boyz II Men
William Morris (1834–1896), British artist, writer, and a principal founder of the British Arts and Crafts movement
Allen Morris (historian)
Benny Morris (born 1948), Israeli historian
Charles W. Morris (c. 1901 – 1973), American semiotician and philosopher
Edward Ellis Morris (1843–1902), educationist and writer
Ivan Morris (1925–1976), British author and teacher in the field of Japanese studies
Politics, law, and government
Alexander Morris, Canadian politician and judge
Barry Morris (1935–2001), Australian politician
Daniel Morris (1812–1889), U.S. Representative
Dick Morris (born 1948), American political author, newspaper columnist, and commentator
Estelle Morris (born 1952), British politician and member of the House of Lords
Gouverneur Morris (1752–1816), American statesman, and diplomat
Harvey R. Morris (1807–1886), New York politician
Lewis Morris (1726–1798), American landowner and signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence
Lorenzo Morris (1817–1903), New York politician
Pat Morris (politician), mayor of San Bernardino, California
Samuel Wells Morris (1786–1847), United States congressman from Pennsylvania
Edmund Leverett Morris (1923-2003), Nova Scotia politician
Sir Daniel Morris (1844–1933), British botanist
Desmond Morris (born 1928), British ethnologist and zoologist
Elizabeth Morris (born 1946), British glaciologist
Francis Orpen Morris (1810–1893), Irish ornithologist and entomologist
Herbert Stanley Morris (1892–1918), South African botanist
Lewis Morris (1701–1765), British hydrographer, antiquary, poet and lexicographer
Margaretta Morris (1797-1867), American entomologist
David Morris (skier) (born 1984), Australian skier
Des Morris (born 1948), Australian rugby league footballer, coach and administrator
Dov Grumet-Morris (born 1982), American ice hockey player
Finlay Morris (1945-1967), Scottish professional golfer
Greg Morris (Canadian football) (born 1992), Canadian football player
Grenville Morris (1877–1959), Welsh footballer
Jack Morris (born 1955), baseball player
Jenny Morris (field hockey) (born 1972), Australian field hockey player
Jody Morris, English football player
Josh Morris (born 1986), Australian Rugby League player
Hal Morris (born 1965), baseball player
Matt Morris (baseball) (born 1974), baseball pitcher
Mercury Morris, American football player
Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin (1914–1999), British journalist and former president of the International Olympic Committee
Nasief Morris (born 1981), South African footballer
Raheem Morris, American football coach
Ray Morris, Australian rugby league footballer
Ron Morris (athlete) (born 1935), American pole vaulter
Ron Morris (Canadian football), football player and coach in the Canadian Football League
Ron Morris (American football) (born 1964), American football wide receiver
Russell Morris (cricketer) (born 1967), Welsh cricketer
Samuel Morris (cricketer), Australian cricketer
Shane Morris (1998) American football quarterback
William J B Morris (rugby) (b. 1940- ), Welsh Rugby Union Player.
Arthur Morris (Alaska), American military official
Jane Morris (née Jane Burden, 1839 – 1914)
Jasper Morris, British wine expert
Neva Morris (1895–2010), American supercentenarian
Roger Morris (bishop) (born 1968), Bishop of Colchester
Roy Morris (c. 1930 - 2011), British Scout Leader, recipient of the Silver Wolf Award
Samuel Morris (merchant) (1711–1782), American revolutionary
Samuel Morris (soldier) (1734–1812), American revolutionary soldier
Samuel Kaboo Morris, African prince for whom Morris Hall at Taylor University is named
William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield (1877–1963), British industrialist and philanthropist
Christine Morris
