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

Moro, 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 Moro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moro in America

Moro is the 12198th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moro surname appeared 2,554 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 Moro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moro 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 Moro

The surname Moro has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. Its earliest recorded use dates back to the 12th century, stemming from the Latin word "morus," which means "mulberry tree." It is believed that the name was originally a descriptive one, referring to individuals who either lived near mulberry trees or were involved in the cultivation of these trees.

During the Middle Ages, the Moro family established a presence in various parts of northern Italy, including the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in a document from 1243, which refers to a certain "Petrus Moro" from the city of Verona.

In the 14th century, the Moro name gained prominence with the rise of the Moro family in Venice. This influential family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the Venetian Republic. One notable figure from this family was Cristoforo Moro (1390-1471), a renowned Venetian merchant and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

Another notable bearer of the Moro name was Girolamo Moro (1519-1592), a Venetian scholar and humanist who authored several works on philosophy and theology. His treatise "De Optimo Statu Reipublicae Venetae" (On the Ideal State of the Venetian Republic) remains an important historical source on the political structure of Venice during the Renaissance.

In the 16th century, the Moro family also established a presence in the Kingdom of Naples, where they held various positions of power and influence. One member of this branch was Tommaso Moro (1550-1624), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as the president of the Supreme Court of Naples.

Moving forward to the 19th century, the name Moro gained international recognition with the life and work of Alessandro Moro (1819-1892), an Italian patriot and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He was a close associate of Giuseppe Garibaldi and participated in numerous battles against the Austrian Empire.

Throughout its history, the surname Moro has been associated with individuals from various backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and military leaders. Some other notable figures include Aldo Moro (1916-1978), an Italian statesman and former Prime Minister of Italy, and Antonio Moro (1519-1576), a renowned Venetian portrait painter during the Renaissance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moro

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

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

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

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