Morrass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Wales

This old Welsh surname comes from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means dark. In Britain, Maurice was the learned form of the name, while Morice was the common form. The surname Morris was likely also assumed as a surname after being a nickname for a dark or swarthy person.

Early Origins of the Morrass family

The surname Morrass was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Morrass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morrass research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1660, 1663, 1670, 1672 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Morrass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morrass Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. 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 were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Morrass have included Morris, Morriss, Moriss, Morrice, Morice, Moris and others.

Early Notables of the Morrass family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Morrass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morrass family to Ireland

Some of the Morrass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Morrass family

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Morrass: Patrick Morris who settled in Philadelphia in 1852; George Morris settled in Virginia in 1774; Humphrey Morris settled in Barbados in 1635; Jenkin Morris settled in Virginia in 1635.