2000
#56,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Morrall
A variant of the more common Morrell surname, derived from the medieval nickname "Morrell" meaning little moor-dweller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 479 Americans carry the last name Morrall. That puts it at #53,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 715,562 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morrall 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Morrall with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
479
1 in 715,562
Census rank
#53,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
418
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 418 bearers of the surname Morrall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morrall
The surname Morrall is of English origin, derived from a locational name for someone who hailed from the village of Morrell in Worcestershire. The name is believed to have stemmed from the Old English words "mor" meaning "marsh" and "hyll" meaning "hill," thus indicating a "marshy hill" or a similar landscape feature.
The earliest recorded instance of the Morrall surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Morhulle." This suggests that the name had already established itself in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the medieval period, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Morrell, Morrill, Morell, and Morrale, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time.
One notable figure bearing the Morrall surname was Sir Robert Morrall (1512-1570), a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the religious reforms of the era.
In the 17th century, the Morrall name was associated with the town of Morral in Shropshire, which likely contributed to the spelling variation "Morrall." John Morrall (1630-1698), a respected theologian and rector of Stanton Lacy in Shropshire, was a prominent figure during this period.
Moving into the 18th century, the Morrall family had established roots in various parts of England. William Morrall (1720-1785), a renowned horticulturist from Yorkshire, gained recognition for his pioneering work in plant cultivation and the development of new varieties of fruits and vegetables.
The 19th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the Morrall surname, including Frederick Morrall (1803-1878), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Birmingham, who made significant contributions to the city's development and supported various charitable causes.
Another prominent figure was Emily Morrall (1845-1922), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first schools for girls in Manchester and played a crucial role in promoting educational opportunities for women.
As the Morrall name spread across England and beyond, it also gained recognition in other parts of the world. One such example is William Morrall (1868-1942), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the mining industry in British Columbia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morrall
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Morrall 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 Morrall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.4% · 290
- Black or African American22.2% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 17
- Two or more races3.3% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morrall
Morrall 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
#55,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
+33 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 1,140 places
2020
#53,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 418
+47 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 1,962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,526 | 338 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,386 | 371 | 0.13 | +33 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,140 places |
| 2020 | #53,424 | 418 | 0.14 | +47 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 1,962 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 Morrall 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 | #55,386 | #53,424 | 3.5% |
| Count | 371 | 418 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morrall bearers went from 371 to 418 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 1,962 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,386 to #53,424.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Morrall
FAQ
Morrall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morrall?
Name Census estimates that about 479 living Americans carry the surname Morrall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 715,562 residents.
How common is Morrall?
Morrall ranks #53,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 418 people with the surname Morrall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Morrall.
Has Morrall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morrall went from 371 recorded bearers to 418. That is an increase of 47 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #55,386 to #53,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Morrall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Morrall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morrall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.4%), Black (22.2%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Morrall (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 Morrall mean?
A variant of the more common Morrell surname, derived from the medieval nickname "Morrell" meaning little moor-dweller. 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 Morrall (0.14 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 Morrall?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Morrall on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.