Moran (surname)
Moran |
Family name |
Meaning |
"descendent of great one" |
Region of origin |
Ireland |
Related names |
Ó Móráin |
Moran (Irish: Ó Móráin) is a modern Irish surname and derived from membership of a medieval dynastic sept. The name means a descendent of Mórán, translated as Big One. Morans were a respected sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty in the western counties of Mayo and Sligo. In Ireland, where the name descended from the Gaelic, it is generally pronounced (phonetically) "more-in", an anglicized approximate of the Irish pronunciation. Elsewhere, pronunciation follows the French surname, Morant, anglicized to (phonetically) "more-anne".[1] There are many different crests of Moran, all bearing 3 stars and the motto Lucent in tenebris, Latin for "They shine in darkness" ".[2]
The majority bearers of this surname in Co. Mayo are descended from the Ó Móráin sept whose ancient kingdom was in north Mayo, surrounding the modern town of Ballina. Following the Norman invasion their territory was usurped by the Barretts and Burkes and the sept lost its central organisation. The modern distribution of the surname within Mayo suggests that the Morans spread southwards and today are chiefly found in the central area of the county, particularly in the barony of Carra.
There is also a small village in Monaghan named "Moran" meaning abode of "The Great One" the leader of the Celts.
People named Moran
- Adolfo Moran, Spanish famous architect
- Bill Moran (disambiguation)
- Brad Moran, Canadian hockey player
- Brad Moran, Australian rules footballer
- Brendan Moran, American television personality
- Bugs Moran, Chicago prohibition-era gangster
- Caitlin Moran, British journalist
- Charley Moran, baseball player, football coach
- Chris Moran, Royal Air Force officer
- Chris Moran (ice hockey), American ice hockey player
- Colin Moran, Dublin Gaelic footballer
- Crissy Moran, American former pornographic actress & model
- Daniel Keys Moran, science fiction writer
- Denis Moran, Irish Gaelic footballer
- Dennis Moran, American computer hacker
- Dennis Moran, British rugby league footballer
- Diana Moran, British model
- Dylan Moran, Irish comedian, star of Black Books
- Edward Moran, American artist
- Edward C. Moran, Jr., American politician
- Erin Moran, American actress
- Frank Moran, Heavyweight boxer, actor
- Hap Moran (Francis Dayle), professional football player
- Hugh Moran, Manitoban politician
- Ian Moran, professional hockey player
- James Moran, British screenwriter
- Jason Moran, Australian criminal, 1967–2003
- Jason Moran, jazz pianist
- Jerry Moran, United States Representative from Kansas, b. 1954
- Jim Moran, American automotive entrepreneur/philanthropist
- Jim Moran, United States Representative from Virginia, b. 1945
- Jim Moran, publicist
- Joe Moran (social historian)
- John Moran, American composer, b. 1965
- John Moran, American musician and musicologist
- John E. Moran (soldier), 1856–1930
- Judy Moran (mother)
- Julie Moran, United States television personality
- Kenneth Moran, New Zealand boxer
- Kevin Moran, Irish footballer, b. 1956
- Kevin Moran (hurler)
- Lewis Moran, Australian criminal, 1941–2004
- Lindsay Moran, former Central Intelligence Agency officer
- Lois Moran, American actress
- Lord Moran, Winston Churchill's physician
- Malcolm Moran, American sportswriter
- Margaret Moran, British politician, b. 1955
- Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo, former Miss Universe
- Mark Moran, Australian criminal, 1964–2000
- Mayo Moran, dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Toronto
- Michael P. Moran, American actor and playwright
- Michelle Moran, American author
- Mike Moran, English keyboard musician and producer, b. 1948
- Nancy Moran, American singer/songwriter
- Nick Moran, British actor, b. 1968
- Paddy Moran, Canadian hockey goaltender
- Pat Moran, American baseball player and manager, 1876–1924
- Pat Moran (statistician), 1917–1988
- Patrick Moran (disambiguation)
- Paul Moran (American soccer), b.1983
- Paul Moran, photojournalist, 1963–2003
- Paul Moran, English footballer, b. 1968
- Pauline Moran, English actress
- Polly Moran, American actress and comedian
- Robert Moran, American composer , b. 1937
- Robert Moran, American shipbuilder, 1857–1943
- Rocky Moran (race car driver), b. 1950
- Roger Moran, British hillclimb driver
- Ronnie Moran, British football coach
- Sam Moran (entertainer), b. 1978
- Shawn Moran (speedway rider), b. 1961
- Shlomo Moran, Israeli computer scientist
- Steve Moran, English football player
- Terry Moran, television news correspondent
- Thomas Moran (1837–1926), artist of the Hudson River School
- Thomas Moran (author)
- Thomas P. Moran, engineer
- Tommy Moran, British Fascist
- Tony Moran, remixer/producer
- William L. Moran, American Assyriologist
- William L. Moran, Assyriologist (1921–2000)
- "Mr. Moran", alias used by Salvatore Gravano, underboss of the Gambino crime family
Fictional characters
- Jacques Moran, second narrator and seeker of the eponymous Molloy in the novel by Samuel Beckett
- Lucy Moran, character in Twin Peaks
- Michael Moran, the central character in John McGahern's novel Amongst Women
- Moran, a female Irish Quidditch player in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Sebastian Moran, the villain from the Sherlock Holmes short story "The Adventure of the Empty House"
- Summer Moran, a recurring character in Clive Cussler's novels featuring Dirk Pitt
- Mullin Shetland, a character in the anime series Last Exile, whose original Japanese name is Moran Shetorando
See also
References