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

Morrissey, 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 Morrissey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morrissey in America

Morrissey is the 2658th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morrissey surname appeared 13,564 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Morrissey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morrissey 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 Morrissey

The surname Morrissey has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic name "O'Muirgheasain," which means "descendant of Muirgheasan." Muirgheasan is a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "muir," meaning sea, and "geasan," meaning charm or spell.

The name Morrissey is found in early Irish records and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Domhnall O'Muirgheasain, who lived in the 13th century and was a notable scholar and poet.

In the 16th century, the name was anglicized to Morrissey, with variations such as Morrisey and Morrissy. During this period, the Morrissey family held lands in County Mayo and County Sligo, where they were prominent members of the Irish nobility.

One notable figure from this era was Aodh Mor Morrissey, born around 1530, who was a chieftain of the Morrissey clan and a fierce opponent of English rule in Ireland. He led his clan in the Nine Years' War against the English forces in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Morrissey name appears in the Petty Census of Ireland, a survey of landowners conducted in 1659. This record shows that the Morrisseys were prominent landowners in County Mayo at the time.

Another notable figure was Conall Morrissey, born around 1670, who was a renowned Irish poet and scholar. He was a member of the Gaelic literary revival and wrote extensively in the Irish language.

In the 18th century, the Morrissey name was found among Irish immigrants who fled to America during the Great Famine of the 1840s. One such immigrant was Patrick Morrissey, born in 1820 in County Mayo, who settled in Boston and became a prominent businessman and politician.

Another famous bearer of the name was John Morrissey, born in 1831 in County Westmeath, Ireland. He emigrated to New York and became a bare-knuckle boxer, gambling entrepreneur, and political boss in the mid-19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morrissey

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

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

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

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