Meaning and background
The story behind Morrissey
Morrissey has an Irish surname explanation through Ó Muirgheasa, referring to descent from Muirgheas, a personal name associated with sea and valor. The Dictionary of American Family Names also reports MacLysaght's alternative derivation from Norman de Marisco. Retaining that attribution matters: the second proposal is not simply another translation of the Gaelic form. A specific family's evidence would help determine which historical account fits its surname.
- Origin
- Irish surname from Ó Muirgheasa, descendant of Muirgheas, with an alternative Norman de Marisco derivation attributed to MacLysaght. Source
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About Morrissey
Recorded as a dog’s name
Morrissey appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/mɔɹɪsi/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/mɔɹɪsi/ · primary stress on syllable 1M AO1 R IH0 S IY0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.