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

Morilla, 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 Morilla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morilla in America

Morilla is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morilla surname appeared 211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Morilla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morilla 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 Morilla

The surname Morilla has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "morillo," which means "brown" or "dark complexioned." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a darker skin tone or hair color.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Morilla can be found in the Cartulario de Cardeña, a medieval manuscript from the 10th century. This document mentions a landowner named Gonzalo Morilla, who lived in the region of Castile during that time period.

In the 12th century, the Morilla name appeared in the Anales Toledanos, a historical chronicle from the city of Toledo. This record refers to a nobleman named Rodrigo Morilla, who was involved in a dispute over land ownership in the year 1148.

During the 13th century, the Morilla surname was present in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia and Catalonia. One notable figure from this era was Pedro Morilla, a military commander who fought in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim territories from the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 14th century, the Morilla name was associated with the town of Morilla de los Olivos, located in the province of Teruel, Aragon. This suggests that some branches of the family may have adopted the name as a toponymic surname, derived from the place name.

Among the famous individuals with the Morilla surname, one can mention Diego Morilla (1515-1596), a Spanish architect who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings, including the Cathedral of Seville and the Alcázar of Seville.

Another prominent figure was Juan Morilla (1641-1711), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was born in Castile and gained recognition for his artistic contributions during the Baroque period.

In the 18th century, José Morilla (1712-1785) was a noted Spanish theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Alcalá and authored several influential works on metaphysics and ethics.

Antonio Morilla (1825-1898) was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1886 to 1889. He played a significant role in the administration of the island during the Spanish colonial era.

María Morilla (1879-1958) was a Spanish educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and education reforms. She founded several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting literacy and empowering women in Spain during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morilla

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

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

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

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