Morris
Morris was the 1762nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 92 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 82nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,679). Over the last ten years it has moved down 212 places. More babies were named Morris in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Maurice) Moorish, dark-skinned · Latin, French
- Rank in 2025
- #1,762 boys, down 132 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 92boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,679 babies
- Total since 1880
- 71,483babies recorded
What does the name Morris mean?
Morris is a spelling of Maurice, pronounced the same way, so it shares Maurice's meaning and origin.
Maurice comes from Late Latin Mauricius (Mauritius), from Maurus 'a Moor, North African', as DMNES and Wiktionary note. Saint Maurice, a 3rd-century Roman soldier-martyr from Egypt, made it popular. DMNES notes the medieval English vernacular form Moris, the source of the surname Morris. It was common in the US around 1900-1920.
Maurus (Latin, “a Moor, North African”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Morris, Mauricio, Moritz.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Maurice', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maurice', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Morris popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 483 since 1911.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,762 | 92 |
| 2020 | #1,630 | 99 |
| 2010 | #1,607 | 98 |
| 2000 | #1,270 | 103 |
| 1990 | #763 | 178 |
| 1980 | #624 | 196 |
| 1970 | #408 | 399 |
| 1960 | #304 | 657 |
| 1950 | #211 | 918 |
| 1940 | #170 | 912 |
| 1930 | #152 | 1,006 |
| 1920 | #108 | 1,609 |
| 1910 | #91 | 367 |
| 1900 | #136 | 162 |
| 1890 | #152 | 93 |
| 1880 | #172 | 77 |
How popular is Morris, counting every spelling?
Morris is a spelling of Maurice, a name family that ranked #781 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,762 for Morris on its own. Together these spellings went to 312 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice | 220 | #1,020 | 1,205 |
| Morris | 92 | #1,762 | 461 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Morris?
92 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Morris (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Morris born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 91 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Morris.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Morris?
About 22,700 people born in the US named Morris are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 47 and 75. That makes Morris a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Morris by state
How common Morris was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (4.4×). In 43 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Morris: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Morris, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Morris
What does Morris mean?
Morris is a spelling of Maurice, which means “Moorish, dark-skinned” (Latin, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Morris?
Morris was the 1762nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 92 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 82nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,679). Over the last ten years it has moved down 212 places. More babies were named Morris in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Morris a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Morris in the US.
Where is Morris most popular?
In 2021–2025, Morris was most common in New York (0.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and Pennsylvania.