Maurice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  France 
  Wales 
  Ireland 


The Maurice 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 Maurice family

The surname Maurice 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 Maurice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maurice 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 Maurice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maurice Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Maurice have included Maurice, Morrice, Morice, Morys and others.

Early Notables of the Maurice family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Maurice World Ranking

In the United States, the name Maurice is the 6,955th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Maurice is ranked the 660th most popular surname. 2 And in France, the name Maurice is the 245th popular surname with an estimated 14,861 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Maurice family to Ireland

Some of the Maurice 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.


Maurice migration to the United States +

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Maurice were found:

Maurice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Maurice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Maurice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Maurice migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maurice Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Maurice Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Maurice migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Maurice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Maurice (post 1700) +
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