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

Morelos, 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 Morelos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morelos in America

Morelos is the 12136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morelos surname appeared 2,567 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 Morelos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morelos 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 Morelos

The surname Morelos is of Mexican origin, derived from the Spanish word "moreral" which means "mulberry tree grove." It originated in the central Mexican state of Michoacán, particularly in the region surrounding the town of Morelia, formerly known as Valladolid.

During the Spanish colonial period, surnames were often adopted or assigned based on occupations, geographic locations, or physical features. Morelos likely referred to individuals who lived near or tended to mulberry tree groves, which were important for the production of silk in that region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Morelos can be found in the records of the Morelia Cathedral, where a baptismal entry from 1598 mentions a child named Juan Morelos.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, José María Morelos y Pavón (1765-1815) became a prominent figure in the Mexican War of Independence. A Catholic priest and revolutionary leader, he fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo and played a crucial role in the struggle against Spanish colonial rule.

Another notable individual with the Morelos surname was Pablo Morelos (1917-1980), a Mexican painter and muralist known for his works depicting scenes from Mexican history and culture.

In the literary realm, Alfonso Morelos (1924-2011) was a renowned Mexican poet and essayist, recognized for his contributions to the contemporary Mexican poetry scene.

Additionally, the state of Morelos in central Mexico was named after José María Morelos y Pavón, further cementing the historical significance of this surname.

It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as Morelo or Morelo y Pavón, have also been documented throughout history, reflecting the evolution of surnames over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morelos

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

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

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

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