Morra History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Morra can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Sicily, which is located off Southwestern Italy and incorporates the island of Sicily itself, the area of Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Morra was derived from the place named Morra De Sanctis, in the province of Avellino.

Early Origins of the Morra family

The surname Morra was first found in Naples, (Italian: Napoli, Latin: Neapolis.) One branch of the Morra family, who had owned land for centuries, received the honor of seeing one of its members, Gregorio VIII, elevated to the papal throne in 1187 by Alberto, monk and cardinal. Twelve years later, in 1198, Pietro Morra was made Cardinal. He was also famous for his compilation of decrees, or 'Epistole Decretali'.

Early History of the Morra family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morra research. The years 1520, 1546, 1598, 1605 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Morra History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morra Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Morra. These spelling variations include Morra, di Morra, Mora, Di Mora and others.

Early Notables of the Morra family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was

Dionisio Morra who was a Cardinal, and Lucio Morra who was the Chaplain of King Philip III of Spain and was made Archbishop of Otratanto
Isabella di Morra (ca. 1520-1546) was an Italian poet of the Renaissance; she was forced by her brothers to live in isolation, which estranged her from courts and literary salons,. During her solitude...
Bernardino Morra (died 1605) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Aversa (1598-1605.)
Later Giambattista Morra, was the Bishop of Isola, a town near Turin, in 1645

Morra migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Morra:

Morra Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Carmelo Morra, aged 34, who landed in America from Avellino, Italy, in 1904
Giacomo Morra, aged 19, who settled in America from Lessa Aura, in 1905
Castese Morra, aged 38, who landed in America from Marano, Napoli, in 1907
Domenico Morra, aged 48, who landed in America from Radicena, Italy, in 1907
Albino Morra, aged 17, who landed in America from Alexandria Finao, Italy, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Morra (post 1700) +

Luigi "Gigio" Morra (1945-2024), Italian actor whose career spanned over 50 years
Mario Morra (b. 1935), Italian film editor, director and screenwriter
Claudio Morra (b. 1995), Italian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Pro Vercelli, member of the Italy U20 National Team in 2015
León S. Morra (1882-1948), Argentine physician and university professor