[1] Morris is of Anglo-Norman origin and is a relationship name derived from the Middle English and Old French personal name Moreis, or Maurice (from the Latin Mauritius 'Moorish, dark, swarthy'; from Maurus 'a Moor').
[4][user-generated source] According to the 1881 Census, the vast majority of people with the surname Morris were located in Lancashire, England (8723; 2516 per million); with significant concentrations in London, Glamorgan, and the West Midlands.
Now more widespread across the UK, the majority can be found in London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Wales, with a total of 95,101 recorded across the country in 2016.
[8] Ó Muiris and, less commonly, de Moiréis in Irish; the Morris surname in Ireland is predominantly of Norman origin.
It is a common surname in many parts of the south of Ireland, especially in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Offaly, Laois, Cork and Limerick, where it is now anglicised as Morris.