Morass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland
• Wales

Etymology of Morass

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 Morass family

Early History of the Morass family

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

Morass Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Morass has occasionally been spelled Morris, Morriss, Moriss, Morrice, Morice, Moris and others.

Early Notables of the Morass family

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

Migration of the Morass family to Ireland

Some of the Morass 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 Morass family

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Morass: 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.