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

More, 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 More surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of More in America

More is the 7512th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The More surname appeared 4,432 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname More.

We can also compare 2010 data for More 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 More

The surname More has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'mor', meaning a marshland or a moor. The name was initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a moor or marshland.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname More can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de la More'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, the spelling evolved from 'de la More' to 'More', reflecting the gradual transition from French to English.

During the medieval period, the surname More was particularly prevalent in the counties of Shropshire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. It is believed that the name originated from place names such as Moor, a township in Cheshire, or Mere, a village in Shropshire. These place names were likely derived from the Old English word 'mor', further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its topographic origins.

One of the earliest and most prominent individuals with the surname More was Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), an English lawyer, scholar, and renowned Renaissance humanist. He served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII and was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1935. Another notable figure was Hannah More (1745-1833), an English religious writer and philanthropist known for her efforts in education and social reform.

In the 17th century, Samuel More (1594-1662) was a notable English philosopher and a member of the Cambridge Platonists, a group of thinkers who sought to reconcile Christian theology with Platonic philosophy. John More (1617-1670), a Church of England clergyman, was also an influential figure during this period.

Moving into the 18th century, Hannah More's contemporary, Sir Shenton Thomas More (1770-1828), was a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral and was knighted for his services.

The surname More continued to be prominent in various fields, including literature, politics, and academia, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable individuals include Thomas More Musgrave (1788-1860), an English scholar and antiquarian, and Sir William More (1799-1877), an English railway engineer and entrepreneur.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name More

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

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 More 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 More 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 More was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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