Morrisons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• Scotland-Alt
• Scotland

Etymology of Morrisons

The roots of the Morrisons family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Morrisons was derived from the name Maurice. This comes from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means dark. Numerous legends exist for the origins of this great Scottish Clan. One old tale holds that the Clan's Norse forbears were shipwrecked off the Isle of Lewis, and saved themselves by clinging to driftwood; hence the Clan Plant badge is driftwood. Another branch claims descent from the O'Muircheasain bards of the outer Hebrides. This latter legend is not inconsistent with a possible shipwreck of the Norsemen, as many of the bardic missionaries from Ireland were of Norse descent. Others claim the Clan is descended from King Somerled, King of the Isles, who died in 1164. Again, this is compatible with history, as Somerled was descended from the Norse Kings of Ireland and gave origin to many of the more notable Scottish Clans.

Morrisons Coat of Arms Creation

The Morrisons are an Island of Lewis clan. In Gaelic the name was MacGhille Mhuire. This has been shortened to Gillmore, Gilmour, or by translation to Morrison, or Maryson, and sometimes Myles or Miles. Murison is a variation of the name. By tradition they are descended from a king of Denmark, though there is a story to the effect that the first of the clan was a shipwrecked Scandinavian traveller, who, with his wife and child, was cast ashore on this island on a piece of driftwood, and their badge, a piece of driftwood, is possibly a reminder of their origin. The chief of the clan held the hereditary office of brieve or judge down to 1613, and dwelt at Habost, Ness. The slogan of the clan is " Dun Eistein," a rock fortress in the north of the island. 1

Early Origins of the Morrisons family

Early History of the Morrisons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morrisons research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1463, 1501, 1503, 1520, 1522, 1570, 1600, 1620, 1639, 1660, 1662, 1683, 1704, 1722, 1745, 1747, 1753, 1767, 1790, 1794, 1795, 1799, 1806, 1810, 1811, 1815, 1821, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1838, 1849, 1852, 1857, 1874, 1890, 1893, 1950 and 1961 are included under the topic Early Morrisons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morrisons Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Morrisons include Morrison, Morison, Morieson and many more.

Early Notables of the Morrisons family

• the most famous of which is "Oran Mor Mhic Leoid,' which mourns the death of his patron, the MacLeod of Dunvegan. Another popular Gaelic poet, John Morrison (1790-1852) came from the Island of Skye. A...

Migration of the Morrisons family to Ireland

Some of the Morrisons family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Morrisons family

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Morrisons or a variant listed above: Daniel Morrison who settled in Boston in 1767; along with: Darby 1766; James 1765; John 1822; Michael 1822; Elizabeth 1635; Francis Morrison settled in Virginia in 1650.