2000
#5,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,309
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Morel
A French occupational surname referring to a person who cultivated or sold mushrooms, particularly morels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,878 Americans carry the last name Morel. That puts it at #4,004 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,699 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morel 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 Morel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.9K
1 in 34,699
Census rank
#4,004
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,614 bearers of the surname Morel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4004th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.4%) and Black (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morel
The surname MOREL is of French origin, and it can be traced back to the early medieval period in France. The name is believed to have derived from the Old French word "morel," which means "little dark one" or "swarthy one." This might have been a reference to the person's physical appearance or complexion.
MOREL is also believed to be a locational surname, referring to people who came from a place named Morel or Morelle. There are several villages and towns in France called Morel or Morelle, located in regions such as Normandy, Burgundy, and Île-de-France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MOREL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Morel," indicating that it had already become established as a surname by that time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Pierre Morel (c. 1200-1265) was a French architect and master builder who worked on several important Gothic cathedrals, including the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.
Another notable person with the surname MOREL was André Morellet (1727-1819), a French writer, philosopher, and economist who was a member of the French Academy and a prominent figure during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, Frédéric Morel (1823-1891) was a French botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi. He is known for his work on the classification and identification of various mushroom species.
Claude Morel (c. 1570-1638) was a French printer and publisher who established the famous Morel Printing House in Paris. He is renowned for producing high-quality editions of classical Greek and Latin texts.
Another notable figure is Marie-Louise Morel (1786-1856), a French painter and miniaturist who was renowned for her portrait miniatures and was appointed as a court painter to the French royal family.
While the surname MOREL is of French origin, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and is now found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and other parts of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morel
Among Census respondents with the surname Morel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.4%) and Black (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Morel 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 Morel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino64.2% · 5,530
- White31.4% · 2,708
- Black or African American2.2% · 187
- Two or more races1.6% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morel
Morel 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
#4,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,085
+1,776 bearers (+28.2%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Up 705 places
2020
#4,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,614
+529 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.88
Rank movement Up 395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,104 | 6,309 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,399 | 8,085 | 2.74 | +1,776 bearers (+28.2%) | Up 705 places |
| 2020 | #4,004 | 8,614 | 2.88 | +529 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 395 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 Morel 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 | #4,399 | #4,004 | 9.0% |
| Count | 8,085 | 8,614 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.88 | 5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morel bearers went from 8,085 to 8,614 (+6.5% change). The surname moved up 395 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,399 to #4,004.
FAQ
Morel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morel?
Name Census estimates that about 9,878 living Americans carry the surname Morel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,699 residents.
How common is Morel?
Morel ranks #4,004 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,614 people with the surname Morel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Morel.
Has Morel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morel went from 8,085 recorded bearers to 8,614. That is an increase of 529 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,399 to #4,004.
What does the Census say about the background of Morel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morel, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.2%. The next largest groups are White (31.4%) and Black (2.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Morel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.2% (5,530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (64.2%), White (31.4%), Black (2.2%). 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 Morel (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 Morel mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a person who cultivated or sold mushrooms, particularly morels. 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 Morel (2.88 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 Morel?
Find out how common the surname Morel is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.