Morelia
A feminine name of Greek origin referring to the Greek city of Morea.
Name Census estimates that about 739 living Americans carry the first name Morelia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Morelia today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Morelia births was 1996 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Morelia. 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.
People living today
739
~ 1 in 463,808 Americans
Peak year
1996
66 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,251
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Morelia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Morelia from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 411 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Morelia 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 Morelia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Morelias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Morelia, while Washington, Illinois, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 80 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Morelia
The name Morelia is derived from the Latin word "morus," which means "mulberry tree." Its origins can be traced back to ancient Rome, where it was used as a surname for families associated with the cultivation or trade of mulberries.
In the Middle Ages, Morelia was occasionally used as a feminine given name in certain regions of Italy and Spain. It was particularly popular in areas known for silk production, as mulberry leaves were essential for feeding silkworms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Morelia as a first name can be found in a 13th-century Italian manuscript, where a woman named Morelia di Firenze was mentioned as a respected silk merchant from Florence.
During the Renaissance period, Morelia gained popularity among the upper classes in Italy and Spain. It was often chosen as a name for daughters born into families involved in the silk trade or those with close ties to the mulberry tree.
In the 16th century, a Spanish noblewoman named Morelia de Aragón (1523-1589) became renowned for her philanthropic efforts and support of educational institutions for underprivileged children.
Another notable individual with this name was the Italian botanist Morelia Bianchi (1670-1738), who authored several influential works on the cultivation and classification of mulberry trees.
In the 19th century, Morelia Carrillo (1815-1891) was a prominent Mexican educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and worked tirelessly to improve educational opportunities for girls in her country.
Morelia was also the name of an Italian painter, Morelia Gentileschi (1593-1653), who achieved recognition for her Baroque-style artwork and became one of the first female artists to gain membership in the prestigious Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence.
Despite its historical significance and usage, the name Morelia has remained relatively uncommon in most parts of the world. However, it continues to be celebrated for its connection to the mulberry tree, which holds cultural and economic importance in various regions.
People
Morelia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Morelia 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
Morelia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Morelia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 739 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Morelia 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 463,808 US residents.
Is Morelia a common name?
We classify Morelia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 751 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Morelia most popular?
The single biggest year for Morelia was 1996, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Morelia is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Morelia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Morelia in the SSA data are female. 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.