2000
#24,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 948
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Morissette
A French surname with Norman origins meaning "little Moor" or "little one with dark features".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,050 Americans carry the last name Morissette. That puts it at #27,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 326,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morissette 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.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 326,433
Census rank
#27,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
916
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 916 bearers of the surname Morissette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morissette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morissette
The surname Morissette has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It likely emerged in the 11th or 12th century, derived from the Old French term "moris" or "moriset," which referred to someone with a dark complexion or tanned skin. This name was initially used as a descriptive nickname before becoming an inherited surname.
During the Middle Ages, the name Morissette appeared in various records and documents across Normandy. Some of the earliest known references can be found in the Trésor de Chronologie, a collection of historical records from the 12th century, where individuals with this surname were mentioned in relation to land ownership and local affairs.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Morissette name was Guillaume Morissette, a Norman nobleman who lived in the late 12th century. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his participation in the Third Crusade, which took place between 1189 and 1192.
In the 14th century, the Morissette family established a presence in the town of Rouen, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member was Jean Morissette, a merchant and landowner who lived in the late 1300s and was documented in the town's records.
As the name Morissette spread across France, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Morisset, Morisseau, and Morisseau. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual families or scribes.
During the 16th century, the Morissette family gained prominence in the city of Paris, where several members held prominent positions in the legal and administrative fields. One such individual was Pierre Morissette, a renowned lawyer who lived from 1528 to 1603 and served as a legal advisor to the French monarchy.
Another notable figure with the Morissette surname was Jacques Morissette, a French explorer and navigator who lived from 1605 to 1675. He was instrumental in the exploration and mapping of the Caribbean region and is credited with establishing several settlements in the French West Indies.
In the 18th century, the Morissette family produced several influential figures in the arts and literature. One of the most prominent was Marie-Thérèse Morissette, a celebrated painter who lived from 1723 to 1799 and was known for her portraits and landscapes.
As the Morissette name spread beyond France, it also gained a foothold in other parts of Europe and North America, particularly in Canada, where many French settlers established new communities. One notable Canadian bearer of this surname was Joseph Morissette, a politician and businessman who lived from 1853 to 1928 and played a significant role in the development of the city of Montreal.
Overall, the surname Morissette has a rich historical legacy that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, merchants, lawyers, explorers, artists, and politicians. Its origins can be traced back to medieval France, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname before evolving into an inherited surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morissette
Among Census respondents with the surname Morissette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Morissette 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 Morissette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 811
- Black or African American6.3% · 58
- Two or more races3.2% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morissette
Morissette 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
#25,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 989
+41 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 422 places
2020
#27,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 916
-73 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 2,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,680 | 948 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,102 | 989 | 0.34 | +41 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 422 places |
| 2020 | #27,817 | 916 | 0.31 | -73 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 2,715 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 Morissette 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 | #25,102 | #27,817 | -10.8% |
| Count | 989 | 916 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.31 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morissette bearers went from 989 to 916 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 2,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,102 to #27,817.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Morissette
FAQ
Morissette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morissette?
Name Census estimates that about 1,050 living Americans carry the surname Morissette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 326,433 residents.
How common is Morissette?
Morissette ranks #27,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 916 people with the surname Morissette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,050), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Morissette.
Has Morissette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morissette went from 989 recorded bearers to 916. That is a decrease of 73 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,102 to #27,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Morissette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morissette, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Morissette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morissette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Morissette (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 Morissette mean?
A French surname with Norman origins meaning "little Moor" or "little one with dark features". 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 Morissette (0.31 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 common is the surname Morissette?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Morissette at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.