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

Morita, 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 Morita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morita in America

Morita is the 14902nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morita surname appeared 1,986 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 Morita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morita 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 Morita

The surname Morita originated in Japan, where it has been recorded since the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Japanese words "mori", meaning "forest", and "ta", meaning "rice field". This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area with rice fields.

In medieval Japanese records, the earliest known bearers of the name Morita were samurai warriors from the Kanto region, which includes present-day Tokyo. One of the first recorded instances was Morita Tsunenari, a samurai who served under the Kamakura shogunate in the late 12th century.

The Morita name also appears in several historical texts and chronicles from the Edo period (1603-1868), indicating its prevalence among the warrior class and lesser nobility of that era. Notable figures include Morita Masatake (1608-1673), a daimyo (feudal lord) who governed the Choshu Domain in western Japan.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Morita family produced several prominent scholars and intellectuals. Morita Shiken (1844-1901) was a renowned Confucian philosopher and educator, while Morita Kanya (1846-1919) was a pioneering female writer and advocate for women's rights.

In the 20th century, the Morita surname gained international recognition through the achievements of Akio Morita (1921-1999), the co-founder of Sony Corporation. He played a pivotal role in transforming Sony into a global electronics giant and is widely regarded as one of Japan's most influential business leaders.

Another notable Morita was Yuki Morita (1918-1998), a celebrated Japanese writer and poet who received numerous literary awards for her works exploring themes of identity, memory, and the human condition.

While the Morita name has its roots in ancient Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical significance and connection to Japanese heritage remain deeply ingrained in its origins and evolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morita

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

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

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

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