2000
#2,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,334
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.20
Uncommon Last name
Morrell
A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,522 Americans carry the last name Morrell. That puts it at #3,222 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,372 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morrell 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 Morrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,372
Census rank
#3,222
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,920 bearers of the surname Morrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3222nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morrell
The surname Morrell has its origins in the Norman French language and is derived from the Old French word "morel" or "moriaus," which means "little moor" or "little dark one." This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone with a dark complexion or swarthy appearance.
The name first appeared in England in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that the Morrell family was among the many Norman noble families that accompanied William the Conqueror during the invasion and subsequently settled in various parts of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Morrell surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their possessions commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Morell" in the records for various counties, including Essex, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire.
In the 12th century, the Morrell surname began to appear in various forms, such as Morel, Morelle, and Moryll, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. Some notable individuals bearing this surname during the Middle Ages include Sir John Morrell, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century, and Thomas Morrell, a wealthy merchant and landowner in the 15th century.
The Morrell family had strong ties to several counties in England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. In some cases, the surname was derived from place names, such as the village of Morrell in Oxfordshire or the manor of Morrell in Gloucestershire.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Morrell, including:
1. Thomas Morrell (c. 1567-1637), an English Puritan minister and author who was a prominent figure in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2. Benjamin Morrell (1795-1839), an American explorer and maritime fur trader who is known for his voyages to the Antarctic region in the early 19th century.
3. William Morrell (1699-1763), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Radcliffe Camera at the University of Oxford.
4. Robert Morrell (1924-2003), a British actor and director who had a prolific career in theater, television, and film, appearing in productions such as "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "The Avengers."
5. Thomas Morrell (1781-1841), an English artist and engraver who is best known for his landscapes and topographical views of England and Wales.
While the Morrell surname has its roots in the Norman French language, it has since spread throughout various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, reflecting the widespread diaspora of individuals with this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Morrell 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 Morrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 8,815
- Black or African American9.3% · 1,018
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 533
- Two or more races3.6% · 394
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morrell
Morrell 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
#3,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,700
+366 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.97
Rank movement Down 149 places
2020
#3,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,920
-780 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 3.65
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,916 | 11,334 | 4.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,065 | 11,700 | 3.97 | +366 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 149 places |
| 2020 | #3,222 | 10,920 | 3.65 | -780 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 157 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 Morrell 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 | #3,065 | #3,222 | -5.1% |
| Count | 11,700 | 10,920 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.97 | 3.65 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morrell bearers went from 11,700 to 10,920 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,065 to #3,222.
FAQ
Morrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morrell?
Name Census estimates that about 12,522 living Americans carry the surname Morrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,372 residents.
How common is Morrell?
Morrell ranks #3,222 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,920 people with the surname Morrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,522), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Morrell.
Has Morrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morrell went from 11,700 recorded bearers to 10,920. That is a decrease of 780 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,065 to #3,222.
What does the Census say about the background of Morrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Morrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (8,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Black (9.3%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Morrell (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 Morrell mean?
A surname of French origin referring to someone who lived near a small hill or mound. 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 Morrell (3.65 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 Morrell?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Morrell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.