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

Moreland, 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 Moreland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moreland in America

Moreland is the 2023rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moreland surname appeared 17,832 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Moreland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moreland 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 Moreland

The surname Moreland originates from England, first appearing in the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'mor' meaning 'moor' or 'marsh' and 'land' meaning 'land'. The name was initially given to someone who lived on or near a marshy area or moorland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, where it appears as 'Morland'. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 also mention a 'John de Morland' in Oxfordshire. These early records indicate the name's widespread use across various parts of England.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Moreland. However, it does list several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as 'Morelande' in Worcestershire and 'Morland' in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria).

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Moreland was Sir Samuel Moreland (1625-1695), an English mathematician, inventor, and diplomat. He was notable for his work on hydraulics and for inventing a fire extinguishing system.

Another notable figure with this surname was George Moreland (1763-1804), an English painter renowned for his rural scenes and depictions of everyday life in the late 18th century.

The surname Moreland has also been associated with several places, including the village of Moreland in Gloucestershire, and Morland in Cumbria, both of which likely contributed to the development of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Moreland include John Moreland (c.1570-1619), an English composer and organist, and Thomas Moreland (1702-1784), an English clergyman and author.

Throughout its history, the surname Moreland has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Morland, Moorland, and Morlande, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moreland

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

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

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

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