Find out how popular the last name Moras is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Moras.

Moras, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Moras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moras in America

Moras is the 45105th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moras surname appeared 475 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Moras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moras to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Moras

The surname Moras is believed to have originated in Spain and Portugal, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "mora," which means "delay" or "lingering." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was perceived as slow or leisurely in their actions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Moras surname appears in the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla (Book of Behetries of Castile), a 14th-century manuscript documenting land ownership and taxation in the regions of Castile and León. This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence and prevalence in the Iberian Peninsula during that era.

The name is also believed to have ties to certain place names in Spain and Portugal. For example, there is a village called Moras in the province of Cuenca, Spain, as well as a municipality named Moras Verdes in the district of Évora, Portugal. It is possible that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their association with these locations.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures bearing the Moras surname. One prominent example is Juan de Moras, a 16th-century Spanish poet and dramatist known for his works in the Valencian language. Another notable figure is Tomás de Moras, a 17th-century Spanish painter who specialized in religious and mythological themes.

In the realm of politics, José Moras Íbañez (1885-1968) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Industry and Commerce during the Second Spanish Republic in the 1930s. Additionally, Joaquín Moras Huici (1888-1967) was a Spanish diplomat and historian who served as the Spanish ambassador to several countries, including Egypt and Turkey.

Francisco Moras Puig (1853-1920), a Spanish architect and urban planner, was responsible for designing numerous notable buildings and urban projects in Barcelona, including the Eixample district, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is worth noting that while the Moras surname has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchanges over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moras

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Moras.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Moras was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Moras has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Moras was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Moras, please contact us.

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