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Morse
How to Pronounce Morse
Pronounced MORS /ΛmΙrs/Medium
Meaning: Morse is an English surname turned given name, developed as a short form of Maurice from the Latin Maurus meaning dark or Moorish; it is best known today from the surname of the American inventor Samuel Morse.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Morse came into use as a first name the way many surnames did, lifted from a family line rooted in Maurice, from the Latin word for dark or Moorish. As a given name it was always thin, reaching its modest high around 1926.
Never common, it was given to only a handful of boys a year, and it had faded by the middle of the century. A boy named Morse at that peak would belong to a great-grandfather's generation today. Its single crisp beat and its famous namesake give it a distinctive, antique-American feel.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
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Samuel Morse (1791-1872)American inventor and painter who co-developed Morse code
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Morse mean?
It is an English surname developed from Maurice, from the Latin Maurus meaning dark or Moorish.
How do you pronounce Morse?
It is said MORS /ΛmΙrs/, one syllable, rhyming with horse.
Is Morse a boy or girl name?
Morse is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Morse?
It has always been rare, given to only a handful of boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.