Morys Surname History

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Morys surname comes from an Old French personal name introduced to Britain by the Normans. The Latin version was Mauritius. It is also thought that the name may have been taken on as a nickname for a Moor, or someone of a dark complexion, who was not actually a Moor.

Early Origins of the Morys family

The surname Morys was first found in Herefordshire, where tradition, according to the historian Ormerod, finds the family name to be descended from Athelstan Glodrydd, Godson of Athelstan, the King of England who founded the four Royal tribes of Wales, and on his mother's side descended from Caradoc Vriechfras, Lord of Hereford, one of the knights of the Round Table. Descended was Hoedliw Goch ap Rhys, Gwrgenau ap Hoedliw Goch, Grono ap Gwrgenau, Griffith ap Grono, Madoc ap Griffith, Howel ap Madoc, Phillip Dorddu ap Howel, Cadwgan second son of Phillip and so on, to Morys ap Morgan. Descended was Evan Maurice who was the youngest son of Maurice ap Morgan who migrated to Kent, his son Sir William Maurice acquired the estates of the village of Chuston in West Putford.

Early History of the Morys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morys research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1379, 1552, 1582, 1591, 1593, 1597, 1602, 1604, 1611, 1622, 1626, 1628, 1634, 1647, 1660, 1666, 1668, 1676, 1682, 1690, 1691 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Morys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morys Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Morys have included Maurice, Morrice, Morice, Morys and others.

Early Notables of the Morys family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir William Maurice (1552-1622), Welsh politician, Member of Parliament for Carnarvonshire (1593-1597) and (1604-1611), High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire (1582) and High Sheriff of Merionethshire (1591); David Maurice (1626-1702), a Welsh Anglican priest and translator, Canon of St Asaph in 1666; Henry Maurice (1634-1682), a Welsh Anglican priest who later became...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Morys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morys family to Ireland

Some of the Morys family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morys family

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Morys: George Maurice who settled in Virginia in 1656; followed by Robert in 1699; William Maurice settled in Nevis in 1660; George Maurice settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1796.