Morrise
From the Old German word 'mori' meaning "moor" or "dark".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Morrise. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Morrise today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Morrise births was 1922 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Morrise. 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
- • The typical person named Morrise is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Morrises were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Morrise. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1922
5 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1947 SSA rank
#4,094
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Morrise: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Morrise from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Morrise 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 Morrise 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 Morrise
The name Morrise is of English origin, derived from the Old French "morer," meaning "to linger" or "to tarry." It is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, as a surname for individuals who were known for their leisurely or unhurried nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Morrise can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Maurice," a variant spelling that was commonly used during that era.
In the 13th century, the name Morrise gained prominence with the birth of Morrise de Berkley, a notable English nobleman and landowner. Born in 1218, de Berkley played a significant role in the political and military affairs of his time, serving as a close advisor to King Henry III.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the name Morrise was Morrise de la Roche, a French knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century. De la Roche's bravery and loyalty to the Maid of Orleans were celebrated in contemporary accounts and chronicled in various historical texts.
In the realm of literature, the name Morrise found its way into the works of renowned English playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "As You Like It," Shakespeare introduced the character of Morrise, a courtier whose role added depth and complexity to the narrative.
During the 16th century, Morrise Baleigh, an English explorer and navigator, made significant contributions to the exploration of the New World. Born in 1552, Baleigh led several expeditions to the Americas and is credited with establishing the first English settlement on the island of Roanoke, off the coast of present-day North Carolina.
As time progressed, the name Morrise continued to be embraced by individuals across various fields, including the arts, sciences, and politics. Morrise Beerbohm, a British novelist and caricaturist born in 1872, left an indelible mark on the literary landscape with his witty and satirical works, while Morrise Wilkins, an American physicist born in 1888, made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of nuclear energy.
People
Morrise + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Morrise 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
Morrise: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Morrise?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Morrise 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Morrise a common name?
We classify Morrise as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Morrise most popular?
The single biggest year for Morrise was 1922, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Morrise is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Morrise in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Morrise a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Morrise 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.
Is Morrise still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Morrise in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Morrise can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Morrise?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Morrise on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.