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

Morelli, 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 Morelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morelli in America

Morelli is the 5333rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morelli surname appeared 6,532 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 Morelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morelli 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 Morelli

The surname Morelli originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "morello," meaning "dark-colored" or "blackish," which was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with dark hair or complexion.

Variants of the name, such as "Morello" and "Morel," can be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century in the city of Florence, where a certain Giovanni Morelli was mentioned in a document from 1272.

In the 14th century, the Morelli family gained prominence in the Republic of Venice, where they were actively involved in the city's political affairs. Notable members included Marco Morelli (1285-1348), a renowned Venetian statesman and diplomat, and Andrea Morelli (1308-1382), a respected jurist and legal scholar.

The name also appears in several historical manuscripts and records from other Italian cities, such as Genoa, Milan, and Rome. For instance, the Morelli family is mentioned in the "Codice Diplomatico Padovano" (Diplomatic Code of Padua) from the 13th century.

One of the most renowned figures associated with the surname Morelli was Giovanni Morelli (1816-1891), an Italian art historian and critic renowned for his contributions to the field of connoisseurship. He developed the "Morellian Method," a systematic approach to identifying the authorship of artworks based on the analysis of minor details and idiosyncrasies.

Another notable individual was Jacopo Morelli (1745-1819), an Italian librarian and scholar who served as the custodian of the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice. He was renowned for his extensive knowledge of ancient manuscripts and his contributions to the preservation of historical texts.

The Morelli name was also associated with several small towns and villages in Italy, such as Morelli in the province of Reggio Emilia and Morello, a frazione (subdivision) of the municipality of Sarsina in the province of Forlì-Cesena.

Throughout history, the surname Morelli has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, statesmen, and clergy members, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diversity of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morelli

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

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

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

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