Moran
Derived from the Irish Gaelic word "murcán" meaning "little ant".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Moran. It is a predominantly male name (91.2% of registrations). The average person named Moran today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Moran births was 1916 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Moran. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Moran. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1916
9 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1928 SSA rank
#4,543
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Moran
Moran leans heavily male at 91.2% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Moran as a male name
- Ranked #4,543 in 1928
- 5 male births in 1928
- Peak: 1916 (9 births)
Moran as a female name
- Ranked #14,992 in 1995
- 5 female births in 1995
- Peak: 1995 (5 births)
Popularity
Moran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Moran from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 32 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Moran by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Moran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Moran
The name Moran has its origins in the Irish language and is derived from the Gaelic word "muirnín," which means "beloved" or "little beloved one." This name has been in use in Ireland since ancient times and was particularly popular among the Gaelic families of the country.
The earliest recorded use of the name Moran can be traced back to the 7th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Moran Ua Brolchán, an Irish saint who lived in the 7th century and is venerated in the Catholic Church.
Throughout the centuries, the name Moran has been associated with several notable figures in Irish history. One of the most famous was Moran of Butter, a legendary Irish poet and bard who lived in the 12th century. His poetry and storytelling skills were highly regarded, and he is said to have been a favorite of the Irish kings of his time.
Another significant figure in Irish history with the name Moran was Moran O'Donnell, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Donnell clan. He played a crucial role in the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland, leading his clan in battles against the English forces.
In more recent times, Moran has been the name of several notable individuals, including Moran Fitzgerald, an Irish actor born in 1897 who appeared in several films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Moran Cerf, born in 1977, is a French-American neuroscientist and entrepreneur known for his work in the field of neuroengineering.
Moran Mazor, born in 1990, is an Israeli singer and songwriter who has gained popularity in the Israeli music scene. Moran Atias, born in 1981, is an Israeli-Mexican actress and model who has appeared in several Hollywood films and television shows.
While the name Moran has its roots in Irish culture, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, and has been adopted by people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
People
Moran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Moran as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Moran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Moran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Moran going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Moran a common name?
We classify Moran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 57 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Moran most popular?
The single biggest year for Moran was 1916, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Moran is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Moran a male name?
Yes, 91.2% of people registered as Moran in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.