2000
#8,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,803
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Morell
A toponymic surname derived from places in England and France, likely referring to someone from a town called Morell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,366 Americans carry the last name Morell. That puts it at #8,324 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,505 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morell 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 Morell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,505
Census rank
#8,324
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,807 bearers of the surname Morell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8324th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morell, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morell
Among Census respondents with the surname Morell, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Morell 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 Morell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.4% · 2,187
- Hispanic or Latino34.8% · 1,324
- Black or African American4.2% · 160
- Two or more races2.4% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morell
Morell 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
#7,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,281
+478 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 286 places
2020
#8,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,807
-474 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,042 | 3,803 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,756 | 4,281 | 1.45 | +478 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 286 places |
| 2020 | #8,324 | 3,807 | 1.27 | -474 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 568 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 Morell 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 | #7,756 | #8,324 | -7.3% |
| Count | 4,281 | 3,807 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.27 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morell bearers went from 4,281 to 3,807 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 568 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,756 to #8,324.
FAQ
Morell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morell?
Name Census estimates that about 4,366 living Americans carry the surname Morell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,505 residents.
How common is Morell?
Morell ranks #8,324 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,807 people with the surname Morell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,366), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Morell.
Has Morell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morell went from 4,281 recorded bearers to 3,807. That is a decrease of 474 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,756 to #8,324.
What does the Census say about the background of Morell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morell, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (34.8%) and Black (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Morell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.4% (2,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.4%), Hispanic (34.8%), Black (4.2%). 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 Morell (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 Morell mean?
A toponymic surname derived from places in England and France, likely referring to someone from a town called Morell. 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 Morell (1.27 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 have the last name Morell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Morell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.