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 MorrisJames Morris (disambiguation)Jim Morris (disambiguation)Joseph Morris (disambiguation)John Morris (disambiguation), or Johnny MorrisMarcus 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 hymnwriterErrol Morris (born 1948), American documentary film directorGarrett Morris (born 1937), American actor and comedianGreg Morris (1933–1996), American actorGreg Morris (organist) (born 1976), English organistHeather Morris (born 1987), American actorKaren Joy Morris aka Karen Mok (born 1970), Hong Kong actor and singer-songwriterLelia N. Morris (Mrs. Charles H. Morris, 1862–1929), American hymn writerLewis Morris (poet) (1833–1907), British poet of the Anglo-Welsh schoolMark Morris (choreographer), American choreographerMary Morris (1915–1988), British actorMatt Morris (musician) (born 1979), American musicianRussell Morris (born 1948), Australian singer-songwriterRuthie Morris (born 1964), musicianSarah Jane Morris (singer), English singerSarah Jane Morris (actress)Wanya Morris (born 1973), American R&B singer and lead of group Boyz II MenWilliam Morris (1834–1896), British artist, writer, and a principal founder of the British Arts and Crafts movementAllen Morris (historian)Benny Morris (born 1948), Israeli historianCharles W. Morris (c. 1901 – 1973), American semiotician and philosopherEdward Ellis Morris (1843–1902), educationist and writerIvan Morris (1925–1976), British author and teacher in the field of Japanese studiesPolitics, law, and government
Alexander Morris, Canadian politician and judgeBarry Morris (1935–2001), Australian politicianDaniel Morris (1812–1889), U.S. RepresentativeDick Morris (born 1948), American political author, newspaper columnist, and commentatorEstelle Morris (born 1952), British politician and member of the House of LordsGouverneur Morris (1752–1816), American statesman, and diplomatHarvey R. Morris (1807–1886), New York politicianLewis Morris (1726–1798), American landowner and signatory to the United States Declaration of IndependenceLorenzo Morris (1817–1903), New York politicianPat Morris (politician), mayor of San Bernardino, CaliforniaSamuel Wells Morris (1786–1847), United States congressman from PennsylvaniaEdmund Leverett Morris (1923-2003), Nova Scotia politicianSir Daniel Morris (1844–1933), British botanistDesmond Morris (born 1928), British ethnologist and zoologistElizabeth Morris (born 1946), British glaciologistFrancis Orpen Morris (1810–1893), Irish ornithologist and entomologistHerbert Stanley Morris (1892–1918), South African botanistLewis Morris (1701–1765), British hydrographer, antiquary, poet and lexicographerMargaretta Morris (1797-1867), American entomologistDavid Morris (skier) (born 1984), Australian skierDes Morris (born 1948), Australian rugby league footballer, coach and administratorDov Grumet-Morris (born 1982), American ice hockey playerFinlay Morris (1945-1967), Scottish professional golferGreg Morris (Canadian football) (born 1992), Canadian football playerGrenville Morris (1877–1959), Welsh footballerJack Morris (born 1955), baseball playerJenny Morris (field hockey) (born 1972), Australian field hockey playerJody Morris, English football playerJosh Morris (born 1986), Australian Rugby League playerHal Morris (born 1965), baseball playerMatt Morris (baseball) (born 1974), baseball pitcherMercury Morris, American football playerMichael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin (1914–1999), British journalist and former president of the International Olympic CommitteeNasief Morris (born 1981), South African footballerRaheem Morris, American football coachRay Morris, Australian rugby league footballerRon Morris (athlete) (born 1935), American pole vaulterRon Morris (Canadian football), football player and coach in the Canadian Football LeagueRon Morris (American football) (born 1964), American football wide receiverRussell Morris (cricketer) (born 1967), Welsh cricketerSamuel Morris (cricketer), Australian cricketerShane Morris (1998) American football quarterbackWilliam J B Morris (rugby) (b. 1940- ), Welsh Rugby Union Player.Arthur Morris (Alaska), American military officialJane Morris (née Jane Burden, 1839 – 1914)Jasper Morris, British wine expertNeva Morris (1895–2010), American supercentenarianRoger Morris (bishop) (born 1968), Bishop of ColchesterRoy Morris (c. 1930 - 2011), British Scout Leader, recipient of the Silver Wolf AwardSamuel Morris (merchant) (1711–1782), American revolutionarySamuel Morris (soldier) (1734–1812), American revolutionary soldierSamuel Kaboo Morris, African prince for whom Morris Hall at Taylor University is namedWilliam Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield (1877–1963), British industrialist and philanthropistChristine Morris