Morris Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Morris Name Origin

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Origin of the Name Morris

The Morris family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. Morris is a baptismal name taken from 'the son of Maurice'. Variants include Fitzmaurice, Morrish, Morriss, Morrison, Morice and Morrice. Meaning 'dark complexioned one', this name is of Anglo-Norman descent spreading to Ireland , Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in the above countries. Examples of such are a Ricardus Morrisson, who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379 and a Gilbert Morice who held a tenement in Irvine, Scotland , in the year 1540. In Ireland the first Morris family arrived with the Normans and were known as Marreis. In 1485 a branch settled in Galway and were prominent people of commercial and social activities. Morris is also used as an abbreviation of Fitzmaurice who were a branch of the Geraldines and Lords of Lixnaw, in County Kerry .