More
A surname that was sometimes treated as a form of Moor, and in other cases may also reflect independent place-name or nickname origins.
The #7,512 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,663 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname More is not straightforward, and the historical dictionaries do not give a single secure derivation. One common explanation links it to Moor, from Old English or Middle English words for a marsh, moorland, or dark-skinned person, but the evidence is often tangled with similar-looking names. In some cases it may also be a short form or variant spelling of other surnames such as Moor, Moore, or surnames based on local places.
History
The name appears in English records in forms that overlap heavily with Moore and Moor, which makes historical tracing difficult. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname writers often treated it as a confused or reduced form rather than a distinct, stable surname in every case. In modern usage it survives as a relatively uncommon surname, with bearers scattered in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books sometimes dismiss More as simply a confused spelling of another name, showing how fluid surname forms could be before modern standardization.
From the historical record
“Confused with the preceding name. MORE = MooKe, q.v. Midst mores and mosses, woods and wilds, To lead a lonesome life. — ' The Marriage of Sir Gawaine ' : Percy's Reliques. MOREBY = Mor'b(e)y, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named More
- Thomas More (1478–1535)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.