MORRICE

Morrice is a surname of Latin and Scottish provenance. It is principally derived from the personal name Maurice, which itself descends from the Latin Mauritius, a form of maurus meaning “dark‑skinned” or “Moorish.” The name was likely originally applied to a person of a darker complexion or to one with connections to the Moors, a Muslim people of North Africa.

The early documentary record of the name appears in England during the reign of King Henry VI, when a writ cites Mauricus de Edlingtona in the Danelaw rolls for the city of London in 1176. The name continues in medieval records, as shown by John Morice in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275. These sightings confirm the presence of the surname in the early 12th and 13th centuries.

Over the centuries the spelling of the name has varied extensively. Recorded forms include Maurice, Morice, Morrice, Moris, Morris, Morriss, Morrisse, Morys, Moorish, and several patronymic derivatives such as Morison, Morrison and Morrisson. While it was sometimes treated as an Anglo‑French surname, the etymology is firmly Roman, originating from the Latin root for a dark appearance rather than any racial or ethnic implication in the Middle Ages.

The name has a notable heraldic record. Several coats of arms have been granted to families bearing the Morrice spelling, with the earliest documented grant occurring in the reign of King Henry VII (1510‑1547). The spelling Morris is the most common variation and has more than forty recorded coats of arms, the earliest dating from 1619. The Welsh spelling Maurice has its own distinct heraldic traditions.

Historically, the name is further illustrated by the prominence of Prince Maurice of Bohemia in the 17th century. He, together with his relatives Prince Rupert of the Rhine and the Duke of Cumberland, played significant roles in the military campaigns of the era. Although his death occurred during a naval engagement in the West Indies, his continued use of the name reinforced its visibility across Europe.

In contemporary usage, the surname Morrice remains chiefly associated with English lineages, whereas the variant Morris has achieved wider geographic dispersal. The historical depth of the name, from its Latin roots through medieval English records to modern heraldry, underscores its enduring cultural significance within the United Kingdom and beyond.

Typical given names associated with the Morrice surname

Male

• Alan
• Alexander
• Ally
• Andrew
• David
• Graeme
• James
• John
• Keith
• Michael
• Paul
• Richard
• Robert
• William

Female

• Alison
• Anne
• Elizabeth
• Fiona
• Isobel
• Margaret
• Mary
• Michelle
• Nicola
• Sarah
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Morrice in...

Braille

⠍⠕⠗⠗⠊⠉⠑

Morse

-----.-..-...-.-..

Semaphore

Famous people named Morrice

• Graeme Morrice - Politician
• Jane Morrice - Northern Irish politician

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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