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Moore (pronounced or ) is a popular English-language surname. It was the 19th most common surname in Ireland in 1901 with 15,417 members. It is the 34th most common surname in Australia, 32nd most common in England, and was the 16th most common surname in the United States in 2000. It can have several meanings and derivations, as it appeared as a surname long before written language had developed in most of the population, resulting in a variety of spellings. Variations of the name can appear as ''Moore'', ''More'' or ''Moor''; as well as the
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
originations '' Muir'', '' Mure'' and '' Mor/Mór''; the
Manx Gaelic Manx ( or , pronounced or ), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Gaelic language of the insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Manx is the historical language of the Manx people ...
origination ''Moar''; the Irish originations ''O'More'' and ''Ó Mórdha''; and the later Irish variants ''O'Moore'' and ''de Mora''. The name also arises as an anglicisation of the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
epithet ''Mawr'' meaning great or large. The similarly pronounced surname Mohr is of Germanic lineage and is not related to the Gaelic/English variations.


Meanings and origins

* From
Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old Englis ...
''mor'' meaning "open land" or "bog" and given to persons dwelling near a moor or heath. * The Old Irish Moores are ''O'Mordha'', from the Irish Gaelic word ''mordha'', meaning "stately and noble". The Anglo-Norman Moores (established in Ireland's province of
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...
soon after the Anglo/Norman invasion) are called ''de Mora'' in Irish, a phonetic rendering of the English name which is derived from the word "moor", or "heathy mountain". * Alternatively of Gaelic/ Manx origin ''Moar'', the name for a collector of manorial rents on the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...
. * The spelling Moore was sometimes used to indicate a son of someone called ''More'' – this being one use where spelling is significant. * Possibly derived from '' Maurus'', a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
first name which meant "dark skinned" in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, and related to the
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intel ...
''More'' meaning " Moor" like Berber, a
colloquial Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conve ...
nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
for a person of dark complexion, often describing someone of North African descent. * Possibly originated from early references to persons who worked with boats at a wharf or mooragebr>
* The De La Mare surname from French Normandy was progressively anglicized in England as "de la Mare" (
Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of ...
), "De La More", "More", and "Moore" after its bearers accompanied and assisted
William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
in his conquest of England, eventually settling in Benenden, Kent County for several centuries, before many moved to America, including Reverend John Moore of Newtown, Long Island. The De La Mares of Normandy trace their heritage to
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
and the coastal city of Møre og Romsdal in Norway. The Møre surname is a place name derived from the Old Norse "Moerr", and the Norwegian word "Marr", meaning ocean, sea, or coastal district. Rollo, the famous Viking and founder of the
Dukes of Normandy In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles III in 911. In 924 and again in 933, Norman ...
, which includes the present day British Royal Family, may have been a member of this family, if his father - as some historians have it - was Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of Møre, Norway.


Frequency

In the United States, "Moore" ranked 9th among all surnames in the 1990 census, accounting for 0.3% of the population.
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
(9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved on 2008-07-04.


See also

* List of the most common surnames in Europe


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore English-language surnames Surnames of English origin Surnames of Irish origin Irish families