2000
#15,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,674
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Morant
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the moor's edge" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,327 Americans carry the last name Morant. That puts it at #14,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morant 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 Morant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,295
Census rank
#14,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,029 bearers of the surname Morant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and White (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morant
The surname Morant is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "morant," which means "dweller." It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, likely used to describe someone who lived in a particular place or region.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Morant can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of northern France, including Normandy and Picardy. These areas were heavily influenced by the Norman conquest of England in 1066, which likely contributed to the eventual spread of the name across the English Channel.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Morant can be found in the Testa de Nevill, a medieval English census compiled between 1207 and 1272. This record includes entries for individuals with the surname Morant, indicating their presence in various parts of England during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name Morant appeared in various spellings, such as Moraunte and Morante, reflecting the linguistic variations of the era. These alternate spellings were often linked to specific locations or place names, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Morant throughout history are:
1. Robert Morant (c. 1450 - c. 1510), an English merchant and alderman of London during the Tudor period.
2. Sir John Morant (1574 - 1631), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a judge in the Court of Admiralty.
3. Philippe Morant (1700 - 1779), a French painter and engraver known for his landscape and architectural works.
4. George Morant (1770 - 1809), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in the Battle of Trafalgar.
5. John Morant (1797 - 1860), a British author and traveler who documented his experiences in various parts of the world, including the West Indies and South America.
Over the centuries, the surname Morant has maintained a presence in various regions, particularly in France, England, and parts of the British Empire. While its exact origins may be subject to some debate, the name's longevity and historical significance serve as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morant
Among Census respondents with the surname Morant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and White (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Morant 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 Morant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.2% · 1,627
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 172
- White6.1% · 123
- Two or more races4.6% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morant
Morant 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
#14,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,120
+446 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 1,774 places
2020
#14,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,029
-91 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,942 | 1,674 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,168 | 2,120 | 0.72 | +446 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 1,774 places |
| 2020 | #14,205 | 2,029 | 0.68 | -91 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 37 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 Morant 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 | #14,168 | #14,205 | -0.3% |
| Count | 2,120 | 2,029 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.68 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morant bearers went from 2,120 to 2,029 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,168 to #14,205.
FAQ
Morant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morant?
Name Census estimates that about 2,327 living Americans carry the surname Morant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,295 residents.
How common is Morant?
Morant ranks #14,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,029 people with the surname Morant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Morant.
Has Morant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morant went from 2,120 recorded bearers to 2,029. That is a decrease of 91 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,168 to #14,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Morant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and White (6.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Morant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (1,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.2%), Hispanic (8.5%), White (6.1%). 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 Morant (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 Morant mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the moor's edge" in Old English. 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 Morant (0.68 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 many people are called Morant?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Morant at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.