Morris

Morris - A very unique male name

Morris appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #91. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Morris and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Morris? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Morris. The baby boy name Morris was given to 35 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1979 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 41,894 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Morris peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 83.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Morris, 1-5?

Morris is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Morris is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #739 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,685.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Morris is where you live.

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Morris origin and meaning

Welsh / Latin via surname

A surname form of Maurice, from Latin Mauritius 'Moorish, dark-skinned'; Morris also has a separate Welsh association (Meurig/Maurice) — as a given name it is the Maurice family name

Morris is the English surname form of Maurice, a saint's name from Latin Mauritius. As a given name it was a top-100 staple in the early 1900s, peaking in 1918, and has declined for a century into rare use. Its most famous bearer, designer William Morris, genuinely bore Morris as a surname only — his given name was William — so he is not listed here.

Attested etymology

Morris is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Morris, pop culture references for the name Morris and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Morris

We've found the following names that sound similar to Morris, sorted by popularity.

Mark / Marcus / Marc / Maurice / Marco / Marcos / Marquis / Mauricio / Markus / Marquise /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Morris

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Morris a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Morris?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

MOR-is · /ˈmɔːrɪs/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Maurice — The given-name form Morris derives from
• Morse — A related surname name

Nicknames: Mo

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

SurnameClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Morris today are usually reviving a grandfather name — sturdy, unfashionable and therefore distinctive.

Worth knowing

• A century past its peak; reads as an older man's or a cat's name (Morris the Cat) to many.