2000
#2,496
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.91
Uncommon Last name
Morrissey
Anglicized form of an Irish surname derived from Ó Muirgheasa, meaning "descendant of Muirgheas" (a personal name meaning "mariner").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,289 Americans carry the last name Morrissey. That puts it at #2,642 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,418 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morrissey 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 Morrissey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,418
Census rank
#2,642
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,333 bearers of the surname Morrissey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2642nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrissey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morrissey
The surname Morrissey has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic name "O'Muirgheasain," which means "descendant of Muirgheasan." Muirgheasan is a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "muir," meaning sea, and "geasan," meaning charm or spell.
The name Morrissey is found in early Irish records and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Domhnall O'Muirgheasain, who lived in the 13th century and was a notable scholar and poet.
In the 16th century, the name was anglicized to Morrissey, with variations such as Morrisey and Morrissy. During this period, the Morrissey family held lands in County Mayo and County Sligo, where they were prominent members of the Irish nobility.
One notable figure from this era was Aodh Mor Morrissey, born around 1530, who was a chieftain of the Morrissey clan and a fierce opponent of English rule in Ireland. He led his clan in the Nine Years' War against the English forces in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Morrissey name appears in the Petty Census of Ireland, a survey of landowners conducted in 1659. This record shows that the Morrisseys were prominent landowners in County Mayo at the time.
Another notable figure was Conall Morrissey, born around 1670, who was a renowned Irish poet and scholar. He was a member of the Gaelic literary revival and wrote extensively in the Irish language.
In the 18th century, the Morrissey name was found among Irish immigrants who fled to America during the Great Famine of the 1840s. One such immigrant was Patrick Morrissey, born in 1820 in County Mayo, who settled in Boston and became a prominent businessman and politician.
Another famous bearer of the name was John Morrissey, born in 1831 in County Westmeath, Ireland. He emigrated to New York and became a bare-knuckle boxer, gambling entrepreneur, and political boss in the mid-19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morrissey
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrissey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Morrissey 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 Morrissey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 12,214
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 492
- Two or more races2.5% · 330
- Black or African American1.1% · 145
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 131
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morrissey
Morrissey 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
#2,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,564
+320 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.60
Rank movement Down 162 places
2020
#2,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,333
-231 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 4.46
Rank movement Up 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,496 | 13,244 | 4.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,658 | 13,564 | 4.60 | +320 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 162 places |
| 2020 | #2,642 | 13,333 | 4.46 | -231 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 16 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 Morrissey 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 | #2,658 | #2,642 | 0.6% |
| Count | 13,564 | 13,333 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.60 | 4.46 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morrissey bearers went from 13,564 to 13,333 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,658 to #2,642.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Morrissey
FAQ
Morrissey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morrissey?
Name Census estimates that about 15,289 living Americans carry the surname Morrissey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,418 residents.
How common is Morrissey?
Morrissey ranks #2,642 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,333 people with the surname Morrissey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,289), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Morrissey.
Has Morrissey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morrissey went from 13,564 recorded bearers to 13,333. That is a decrease of 231 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,658 to #2,642.
What does the Census say about the background of Morrissey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morrissey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Morrissey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (12,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morrissey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Morrissey (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 Morrissey mean?
Anglicized form of an Irish surname derived from Ó Muirgheasa, meaning "descendant of Muirgheas" (a personal name meaning "mariner"). 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 Morrissey (4.46 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 many people are called Morrissey?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Morrissey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.