Morrissey Family Crest, Coat of Arms & Morrissey Name Origin

Get Free Updates about Family Crests, New Information, Stories, Special Offers and more with our Occasional Newsletter Updates

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name

Origin of the Name Morrissey

The origin of the name Morrissey was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. The only Gaelic Irish sept whose name has been anglicized as Morrissey or Morrissy is O'Muirgheasa, who were a branch of the Ui Fiachra. Their territory was at the Southern side of Sligo Bay. Morrissey is a name which is only very rarely to be found in any part of Connacht today, in fact it is chiefly confined to Munster , particularly Counties Waterford, Limerick and Cork . No Gaelic sept of Morrissey is associated with Munster or Leinster . It is nevertheless certain that the great majority of Irish Morrisseys and Morrissys are of Hibernicized Norman origin, from the name 'de Marisco'. The sixteenth century Ormond Deeds and Fiants and also the 'census' of 1659 indicate the presence of O'Morrisseys there who may have been Gaels or families of Norman stock and who assumed the 'O' prefix. Morris and Morrison are occasional variants of these names.