2000
#13,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Morais
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from a place with mulberry trees or deriving from the Latin "maurus" meaning "dark-skinned."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,217 Americans carry the last name Morais. That puts it at #10,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,545 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morais surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Morais with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,545
Census rank
#10,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,805 bearers of the surname Morais in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morais, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morais
The surname MORAIS originated in Portugal and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Portuguese word "moraes," which means "dweller near a mulberry tree" or "dweller near the moors." It is believed that the name was initially given to people who lived near mulberry trees or in areas inhabited by the Moors.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MORAIS can be traced back to the 12th century in Portugal. Some historical records suggest that the name appeared in various manuscripts and documents from that period, including land deeds and tax records. One notable example is the mention of a certain Fernão de Morais in the Livro Velho de Linhagens, a Portuguese genealogical work from the 13th century.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name MORAIS became more widespread as Portugal expanded its territories and influence. Several notable individuals with this surname emerged during this time, including João de Morais (1484-1570), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world.
Another prominent figure was Cristóvão de Morais (1516-1581), a Portuguese humanist scholar and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Portugal and its overseas colonies. His work, Crónica dos Feitos da Guiné, published in 1556, is considered an important account of the Portuguese exploration and colonization of West Africa.
In the 17th century, the name MORAIS was also found in Brazil, as Portuguese settlers and colonists brought the surname to the New World. One example is Pedro de Morais Garça (1580-1651), a Portuguese-Brazilian landowner and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the early colonization and development of Brazil.
Another notable figure from this period was Manuel de Morais (1650-1715), a Portuguese Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled extensively throughout South America, including the Amazon region. His writings and accounts provided valuable insights into the indigenous cultures and geography of the areas he visited.
As the Portuguese empire expanded and the name MORAIS spread across different regions, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. Some alternative spellings include Moraes, Morães, and Moraiz.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morais
Among Census respondents with the surname Morais, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Morais bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Morais surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.4% · 2,115
- Black or African American9.5% · 267
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 210
- Two or more races4.3% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 85
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morais
Morais appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,381
+1,258 bearers (+59.3%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 3,583 places
2020
#10,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,805
-576 bearers (-17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 1,235 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,194 | 2,123 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,611 | 3,381 | 1.15 | +1,258 bearers (+59.3%) | Up 3,583 places |
| 2020 | #10,846 | 2,805 | 0.94 | -576 bearers (-17.0%) | Down 1,235 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Morais surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,611 | #10,846 | -12.8% |
| Count | 3,381 | 2,805 | -17.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 0.94 | -18.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morais bearers went from 3,381 to 2,805 (-17.0% change). The surname moved down 1,235 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,611 to #10,846.
FAQ
Morais surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morais?
Name Census estimates that about 3,217 living Americans carry the surname Morais. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,545 residents.
How common is Morais?
Morais ranks #10,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,805 people with the surname Morais. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Morais.
Has Morais become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morais went from 3,381 recorded bearers to 2,805. That is a decrease of 576 (-17.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,611 to #10,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Morais?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morais, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (7.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Morais in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.4% (2,115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morais appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.4%), Black (9.5%), Hispanic (7.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Morais (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Morais mean?
A Portuguese toponymic surname indicating someone from a place with mulberry trees or deriving from the Latin "maurus" meaning "dark-skinned." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Morais (0.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Morais?
Find out how common the surname Morais is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.