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

Morell, 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 Morell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morell in America

Morell is the 7756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morell surname appeared 4,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Morell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morell 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 Morell

The surname Morell originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Spanish word 'morel', which referred to a person with a dark complexion or dark hair. This name is closely related to the Spanish word 'moreno', meaning dark-skinned or brunette.

Morell is believed to have first appeared in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain, where it was used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with darker features. Some early records of the name can be found in medieval Catalan documents and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Morell appears in the 1283 census records of Barcelona, where a certain Guillem Morell is mentioned. Another notable early bearer of the name was Ramon Morell, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Girona in the late 14th century.

As the surname spread beyond Catalonia, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Morelli, Morello, and Morel. In the 15th century, the name can be found in records from Valencia and Aragon, indicating its spread throughout the regions of eastern Spain.

One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Morell was Baltasar Morell (1619-1688), a renowned Spanish painter and engraver from the Baroque period. He is known for his religious paintings and etchings, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Spain.

Another notable individual with this surname was Miguel Morell (1841-1906), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Spain for a brief period in 1905.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Morell began to appear in various parts of Europe, likely carried by Spanish emigrants and traders. For example, there are records of individuals named Morell in France, Italy, and even as far as England during this time period.

One such individual was John Morell (1625-1694), an English philosopher and mathematician who was a fellow of the Royal Society and made significant contributions to the fields of optics and mechanics.

Throughout its history, the surname Morell has maintained its connection to its Spanish roots and its meaning related to physical appearance, particularly darker complexions and hair color.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morell

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

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

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

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