2000
#362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 78,546
First available Census row
Per 100,000 29.12
Uncommon Last name
Moran
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Móráin, meaning "descendant of Mórán," a personal name meaning "great chieftain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 98,435 Americans carry the last name Moran. That puts it at #358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,482 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moran surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Moran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
98K
1 in 3,482
Census rank
#358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
86K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 85,840 bearers of the surname Moran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moran, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moran
The surname Moran originated from the Irish language and is derived from the Gaelic word "O'Morain," meaning "descendant of Morain." The name can be traced back to the 11th century in Ireland, where it was particularly prevalent in the counties of Leitrim and Sligo.
The earliest known record of the Moran surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Ireland. One notable mention is Domhnall O'Morain, a renowned Irish chieftain who lived in the late 12th century.
In the 16th century, the name was anglicized to "Moran," and its various spellings, such as "Moren," "Morane," and "Murn," were also used. During this period, the Moran family was prominent in County Leitrim, where they held significant landholdings and played a crucial role in local affairs.
One of the most famous bearers of the Moran name was Dermot Moran, a 16th-century Irish chieftain and leader of the Moran clan in County Leitrim. He was known for his resistance against English rule in Ireland and his efforts to preserve Irish culture and traditions.
In the 17th century, the Moran surname spread across Ireland and beyond, as many families emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly to North America and Australia. One notable figure was Patrick Moran (1823-1911), an Irish-American prelate who served as the second Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, and later as the fourth Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
Another prominent individual was Benjamin Moran (1820-1886), an American naval officer who served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was known for his contributions to the development of naval signaling systems and his leadership during several key battles.
In the 19th century, the Moran name gained further recognition with individuals like Thomas Moran (1837-1926), an American painter and member of the Hudson River School, renowned for his landscape paintings of the American West.
Throughout history, the Moran surname has been carried by numerous individuals across various fields, including politics, arts, and academia. Some other notable figures include Pat Moran (1876-1924), an American baseball player and manager, and Dermot Moran (born 1952), an Irish philosopher and scholar of phenomenology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moran
Among Census respondents with the surname Moran, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Moran bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Moran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.0% · 52,393
- Hispanic or Latino32.8% · 28,180
- Two or more races2.3% · 2,005
- Black or African American2.2% · 1,914
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 707
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 641
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moran
Moran appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 88,615
+10,069 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 30.04
Rank movement Up 9 places
2020
#358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 85,840
-2,775 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 28.72
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #362 | 78,546 | 29.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #353 | 88,615 | 30.04 | +10,069 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 9 places |
| 2020 | #358 | 85,840 | 28.72 | -2,775 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Moran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #353 | #358 | -1.4% |
| Count | 88,615 | 85,840 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 30.04 | 28.72 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moran bearers went from 88,615 to 85,840 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #353 to #358.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Moran
FAQ
Moran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moran?
Name Census estimates that about 98,435 living Americans carry the surname Moran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,482 residents.
How common is Moran?
Moran ranks #358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 29 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 85,840 people with the surname Moran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (98,435), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 29 of them to have the surname Moran.
Has Moran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moran went from 88,615 recorded bearers to 85,840. That is a decrease of 2,775 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #353 to #358.
What does the Census say about the background of Moran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moran, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.0% (52,393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.0%), Hispanic (32.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Moran (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Moran mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Móráin, meaning "descendant of Mórán," a personal name meaning "great chieftain." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Moran (28.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Moran?
Want to know how common the surname Moran is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.