# Morrison (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/morrison/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 121,130 |
| US rank (2010) | 250 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,549 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.7% (117,939 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɔɹɪsən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Murison |

## Etymology

From the given name Maurice or Morris + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Morrison in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 79% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 15% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.0% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Morrison in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

## People named Morrison

- Jim Morrison, American singer and poet; lead vocalist of The Doors (1943–1971)
- Toni Morrison, African American novelist, essayist, and academic (1931–2019)
- Jennifer Morrison, American actress
- Matthew Morrison, American actor, dancer, and singer
- John Morrison, American professional wrestler
- Sterling Morrison, American musician (1942–1995)
- Adam Morrison, American basketball player (born 1984)
- Tommy Morrison, boxer (1969-2013)
- Robert Morrison, British evangelist and first Christian Protestant missionary to China (1782-1834)
- James Morrison, association football player
- Shelley Morrison, American actress (1936–2019)
- Philip Morrison, American astrophysicist (1915–2005)

and 27 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Morison, Morejon, Morgan, Marroquin, Marcum, Merchant, Markham, Marchand, Marchant, Marcano, Marciano, Murakami.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.