UK surname
A surname possibly derived from French 'moraille' meaning rocky heap or hill.
In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Morral surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21, ranked #36,596, down from #24,992 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Stapleford, Wilmslow and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Morral is 111 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 65.6%.
1881 census count
61
Ranked #24,992
Modern count
21
2016, ranked #36,596
Peak year
1851
111 bearers
Map years
1
1851 to 1851
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Morral surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Morral surname density by area, 1851 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 111 | #16,006 |
| 1861 | historical | 61 | #26,170 |
| 1881 | historical | 61 | #24,992 |
| 1891 | historical | 30 | #31,889 |
| 1901 | historical | 31 | #30,616 |
| 1911 | historical | 37 | #29,263 |
| 1997 | modern | 31 | #34,582 |
| 1998 | modern | 36 | #34,246 |
| 1999 | modern | 38 | #34,142 |
| 2000 | modern | 28 | #35,080 |
| 2001 | modern | 26 | #35,152 |
| 2002 | modern | 30 | #34,950 |
| 2003 | modern | 29 | #35,129 |
| 2004 | modern | 28 | #35,354 |
| 2005 | modern | 26 | #35,674 |
| 2006 | modern | 28 | #35,665 |
| 2007 | modern | 31 | #35,592 |
| 2008 | modern | 34 | #35,502 |
| 2009 | modern | 32 | #35,730 |
| 2010 | modern | 28 | #36,084 |
| 2011 | modern | 28 | #36,071 |
| 2012 | modern | 27 | #36,102 |
| 2013 | modern | 24 | #36,344 |
| 2014 | modern | 26 | #36,244 |
| 2015 | modern | 22 | #36,493 |
| 2016 | modern | 21 | #36,596 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Stapleford, Wilmslow, Manchester, Glasgow and Stanton-by-Dale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stapleford | Derbyshire |
| 2 | Wilmslow | Cheshire |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| 5 | Stanton-by-Dale | Derbyshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Morral surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Morral, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Morral surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Morral household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Morral is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Morral is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Morral, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Morral has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "morral," which means a small sack or pouch carried by travelers or soldiers. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who made or sold these pouches.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Morral can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records. One notable historical reference is in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript detailing landholdings and taxation in Castile, where the name Morral is mentioned in connection with various villages and towns.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the Cartulario de Valvanera, a collection of documents from the Monastery of Santa María de Valvanera in La Rioja, Spain. This suggests that the Morral family may have had ties to this region during that period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Morral was Juan Morral, a Spanish merchant and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He is believed to have been born in the late 15th century in Seville, Spain.
Another notable figure was Pedro Morral, a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born in Écija, Spain, around 1490 and died in Mexico in the 1540s.
In the 17th century, there was a prominent Morral family in the town of Andújar, Jaén, Spain. One member, Francisco Morral y Sánchez (1625-1698), was a respected magistrate and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Chancery of Granada.
Moving to the 18th century, Antonio Morral (1745-1817) was a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of brigadier general and was awarded several honors for his service.
In the 19th century, José Morral y Rodríguez (1824-1892) was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament, representing the province of Cádiz.
While the surname Morral has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Morral surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 16 Morrals recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.97x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Staffordshire | 16 | 7.97x |
| Kent | 9 | 4.43x |
| Lanarkshire | 9 | 4.68x |
| Derbyshire | 7 | 7.52x |
| Warwickshire | 7 | 4.67x |
| Worcestershire | 6 | 7.73x |
| Glamorgan | 3 | 2.90x |
| Cheshire | 2 | 1.52x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 1.52x |
| Yorkshire | 1 | 0.17x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 9 Morrals recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.49x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Barony | 9 | 18.49x |
| Canterbury St Paul | 9 | 2500.00x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 8 | 37.58x |
| West Hallam | 7 | 5833.33x |
| Harvington | 6 | 6000.00x |
| Walsall Foreign | 5 | 48.22x |
| Leamington Priors | 4 | 108.40x |
| Swansea Town | 3 | 35.34x |
| West Bromwich | 3 | 26.11x |
| Aston | 2 | 4.84x |
| Bollin Fee | 2 | 344.83x |
| Ecclesfield | 1 | 23.15x |
| Ipsley | 1 | 357.14x |
| Leicester St Margaret | 1 | 6.22x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Morral surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Morral surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Morral households.
FAQ
In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Morral surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 21 in 2016. That gives Morral a modern rank of #36,596.
A surname possibly derived from French 'moraille' meaning rocky heap or hill.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Morral bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.