Morrison Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Morrison last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Morrison last name
Meaning of the Morrison last name: son of Morris, or son of the servant of Mary. Morrison has more than one root. In the Lowlands and England it means "son of Morris", from the medieval name Maurice, a Latin name meaning "Moorish, dark" that was popular in medieval Scotland and England. In the Hebrides it stands for Gaelic Mac Gille Mhoire, "son of the servant of the Virgin Mary", a form also found in Harris and the north-west mainland. The Morrisons of Lewis held the hereditary office of brieve, or judge, under the MacLeods, with their seat at Habost in Ness, and they judged disputes under Gaelic law until the early 17th century. In Ulster, Morrison was taken by Scottish settlers and was also used for the Irish Ó Muirgheasáin. In the 19th century many Morrisons, especially from Lewis, emigrated to Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Zealand and the United States.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Morrison name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Morrison name in Scotland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Canada and Northern Ireland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Morrison pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Morrison coat of arms for you.
Morrison name FAQ
What does the Morrison name mean?
Son of Morris, or son of the servant of Mary. Common variants include Morison, Morrisson, MacMhuirich.
Where does the Morrison surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Northern Ireland.
Is there a Morrison coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Morrison crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Morrison coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.