Morrison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland-Alt
Scotland

Etymology of Morrison

What does the name Morrison mean?

The roots of the Morrison family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Morrison was derived from the name Maurice. This comes from the Latin personal name Mauritius, which means dark. Numerous legends exist for the origins of this great Scottish Clan. One old tale holds that the Clan's Norse forbears were shipwrecked off the Isle of Lewis, and saved themselves by clinging to driftwood; hence the Clan Plant badge is driftwood. Another branch claims descent from the O'Muircheasain bards of the outer Hebrides. This latter legend is not inconsistent with a possible shipwreck of the Norsemen, as many of the bardic missionaries from Ireland were of Norse descent. Others claim the Clan is descended from King Somerled, King of the Isles, who died in 1164. Again, this is compatible with history, as Somerled was descended from the Norse Kings of Ireland and gave origin to many of the more notable Scottish Clans.

Morrison Coat of Arms Creation

The Morrisons are an Island of Lewis clan. In Gaelic the name was MacGhille Mhuire. This has been shortened to Gillmore, Gilmour, or by translation to Morrison, or Maryson, and sometimes Myles or Miles. Murison is a variation of the name. By tradition they are descended from a king of Denmark, though there is a story to the effect that the first of the clan was a shipwrecked Scandinavian traveller, who, with his wife and child, was cast ashore on this island on a piece of driftwood, and their badge, a piece of driftwood, is possibly a reminder of their origin. The chief of the clan held the hereditary office of brieve or judge down to 1613, and dwelt at Habost, Ness. The slogan of the clan is " Dun Eistein," a rock fortress in the north of the island. 1

Early Origins of the Morrison family

The surname Morrison was first found in on the Isle of Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas), where the first Clan chiefs once held the hereditary office of Judges or Brieves of Lewis. They also had their stronghold in the Tigh Mor' or 'big house,' which was near Habost in Ness on the extreme northern tip of Lewis. Their claim of descent from King Somerled is also substantiated by their descent through Ceadhain Mac Mhuirich. A Chief of a junior branch of the Donalds, he was descended from Somerled, and through Gillemoire, a brother of Leod (progenitor of the MacLeods) - both were royal princes of the Norse Empire of the Isle of Man and the Hebrides.

Early History of the Morrison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Morrison research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1463, 1501, 1503, 1520, 1522, 1570, 1600, 1620, 1639, 1660, 1662, 1683, 1704, 1722, 1745, 1747, 1753, 1767, 1790, 1794, 1795, 1799, 1806, 1810, 1811, 1815, 1821, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1838, 1849, 1852, 1857, 1874, 1890, 1893, 1950 and 1961 are included under the topic Early Morrison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morrison Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Morrison include Morrison, Morison, Morieson and many more.

Early Notables of the Morrison family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

the most famous of which is "Oran Mor Mhic Leoid,' which mourns the death of his patron, the MacLeod of Dunvegan. Another popular Gaelic poet, John Morrison (1790-1852) came from the Island of Skye. A...

Morrison World Ranking

In the United States, the name Morrison is the 221^st most popular surname with an estimated 119,376 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Morrison is ranked the 94^th most popular surname with an estimated 28,707 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Morrison is the 130^th popular surname with an estimated 20,913 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Morrison as 114^th with 3,850 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Morrison as 144^th with 35,458 people. 6

Migration of the Morrison family to Ireland

Some of the Morrison family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Morrison migration to the United States +

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Morrison or a variant listed above:

Morrison Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miss Elizabeth Morrison, aged 12, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Planter" 7
Henry Morrison, who landed in Virginia in 1648 8
Francis Morrison, who settled in Virginia in 1650
Donald Morrison, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 8

Morrison Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hannah Morrison, who landed in North Carolina in 1701 8
Jane Morrison, who landed in New England in 1738 8
Charles Morrison, who landed in Virginia in 1760 8
Darby Morrison, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 8
Daniel Morrison who settled in Boston in 1767
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Morrison Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benjamin Morrison, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1804 8
Daniel Morrison, aged 33, who arrived in New York in 1804 8
John Morrison, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1807 8
Martha Morrison, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 8
Elizabeth Morrison, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Morrison Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Henry Morrison, (b. 1881), aged 19, Cornish journalist travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th September 1900 en route to New York, USA 9
Mr. George F. Morrison, (b. 1877), aged 24, Cornish coachman, from Falmouth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Campania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th June 1901 en route to Michigan, USA 9

Morrison migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Morrison Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Morrison, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1764 10
George Morrison, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1773
Mr. Alexander Morrison U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 11
Mr. David Morrison U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 11
Mr. David Morrison U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Morrison Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Archibald Morrison, aged 28, a farmer, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Andrew Morrison, was a magistrate of Ferryland, Newfoundland in 1816 10
James Morrison from Edinburgh settled in Ferryland, Newfoundland and died there in 1832 10
William Morrison, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
Catherine Morrison, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ambassador" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Morrison migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Morrison Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Patrick Morrison, (b. 1773), aged 20, Irish seaman who was convicted in County Tyrone, Ireland for 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12

Morrison Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Morrison, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. John Morrison, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
William Morrison, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
Thomas Morrison, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 16
John Morrison, English convict from Durham, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Morrison migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Morrison Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Arthur Morrison, aged 23, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
Agnes Morrison, aged 23, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
Hugh Morrison, aged 50, a shepherd, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Anne Morrison, aged 40, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
Hugh Morrison, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Morrison (post 1700) +

Marion Robert Morrison (1907-1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed Duke, an American actor, director, and producer, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Toni Chloe Anthony Morrison (1931-2019), American author and one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 for her novel "Beloved" and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 for her collected works, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
George Ivan "Van" Morrison OBE (b. 1945), Northern Irish rock singer, winner of six Grammy Awards, inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Angus Morrison (1934-2023), American politician, Mayor of Fremont, California, 1985-89, 1994-2004, 2012; Defeated, 1980, 1989, 2008 18
Daniel Guthrie "Dan" Morrison (1948-2023), American professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues in 2000 and 2001
Barbara Morrison (1949-2022), American jazz singer, born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who worked with Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Ron Carter, Etta James, Esther Phillips, David T. Walker, Dr. John, Kenny Burrell, Terence Blanchard and many more
deLesseps Story Morrison (1912-1964), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Louisiana State House of Representatives, 1941; Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, 1946-61 18
Shelley Morrison (1936-2019), born Rachel Mitrani, American theater and television actress, best known for her role as maid Rosario Salazar in the NBC comedy television series Will & Grace
Tommy David Morrison (1969-2013), American heavyweight boxer and a former World Boxing Organization champion
Dan "Danny" Morrison (b. 1974), American wrestler
... (Another 204 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Morrison family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Miss Katrina Mary June Morrison (1959-1979), New Zealander Stewardess, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 19

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. Alexander Morrison (1878-1914), Scottish Miner from Wilsontown, Lanark, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 20

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. H N Morrison, British Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21

HMS Repulse

Mr. W Morrison, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 22

HMS Royal Oak

Joseph Morrison (d. 1939), British Sergeant with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 23
James Morrison (1922-1939), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 23

Ibrox disaster

Richard Douglas Morrison (1956-1971), Scottish football supporter, from Fife who was at the Ibrox disaster on 2nd January 1971 when a human crush among the crowd killed 66 and injured 200 people he died of his injuries 24

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Kenneth John Morrison, Canadian 1st Class Passenger from Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 25

USS Arizona

Mr. Earl Leroy Morrison, American Seaman First Class from Montana, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26

Vimy Ridge

Albert Morrison (1888-1917), Canadian farmer, Lance Corporal in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge June 1917

The Morrison Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dun eistein
Motto Translation: Castle Eistein.

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Bradford City Football Club In memory (retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://www.bradfordcityafc.com/club/in-memoriam/
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html