Morans were a respected sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty in the western counties of Mayo and Sligo.
In Ireland, where the name descended from the Gaelic, it is generally pronounced /ˈmɒrən/ MORR-ən[1] anglicised approximate of the Irish pronunciation.
Following the Norman invasion, their territory was usurped by the Barretts and Burkes and the sept lost its central organisation.
The modern distribution of the surname within Mayo suggests that the Morans spread southwards and today are chiefly found in the central area of the county, particularly in the barony of Carra.
The majority of bearers of this surname in County Leitrim are descended from the Ó Móráin sept of the Muintir Eolais, and more specifically the Conmhaicne of Maigh Nissi, who lived along the River Shannon.