Show ContentsMor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Mor comes from the Austrian empire. The tradition of adopting hereditary surnames came to this German speaking region after the 12th century, and surnames derived from places where people lived were a primary source. Many local names carry the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from". It originally indicated land ownership, and is sometimes a mark of nobility. The Mor family originally lived in the modern state of Austria.

Early Origins of the Mor family

The surname Mor was first found in Austria and the Rhineland, where the name became noted for its many branches within the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied and enrolled by the princes of the region. In their later history the family became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

Early History of the Mor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mor research. Another 221 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1299, 1557, 1613, 1627, 1665, 1704, 1801, 1806, 1824, 1879 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Mor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mor Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Mor include Mohr, More, Morher, Mohrer, Mor, Moor and others.

Early Notables of the Mor family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Mor were J.C.B. Mohr, who founded a well-known publishing house in 1801. Karl Friedrich Mohr (1806-1879) was the leading scientific pharmacist of his time in Germany. He invented various new...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Mor migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Mor or a variant listed above:

Mor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan Mor, aged 40, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1840 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Mor (post 1700) +

  • Ararat Mor (1967-2024), Turkish actor
  • Anthonis Mor (1519-1575), Dutch portrait painter


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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