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

Morsell, 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 Morsell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morsell in America

Morsell is the 78567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morsell surname appeared 243 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Morsell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morsell 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 Morsell

The surname Morsell is of English origin, deriving from the Old French word "morsel" meaning a small bite or mouthful of food. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a hearty appetite or a fondness for eating.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where it appeared as "Morsel". This suggests that the name was present in England during the Middle Ages.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Morsell. However, there are entries for places with similar names, such as Morsley in Derbyshire and Morshill in Wiltshire, which could have influenced the development of the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Morsell, who was born in Yorkshire, England around 1380. He was a prominent landowner and held various positions of authority in the region during the 15th century.

Another notable figure was Sir William Morsell, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a member of the English gentry and served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1589.

In the 17th century, the surname Morsell appeared in various records, including the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. One entry from 1642 mentions the baptism of a child named Elizabeth Morsell.

During the 18th century, the name was found in various parts of England, including London and the county of Hertfordshire. One prominent individual was Robert Morsell, a merchant and ship owner who was born in Bristol in 1725.

In the 19th century, the Morsell family had established itself in various parts of the United Kingdom, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable figure was John Morsell, born in Edinburgh in 1812, who was a renowned philosopher and author of several influential works on ethics and metaphysics.

Throughout its history, the surname Morsell has been subject to various spelling variations, including Morsel, Morsill, Morshill, and Morsall. These variations reflect the regional dialects and differing pronunciations of the name in different parts of England and the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morsell

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

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

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

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