Fun Facts About the Name Morelia
- 756 babies named Morelia: U.S. records list 756 babies given the name Morelia from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Morelia Mean?
Morelia is a feminine given name used mainly in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is taken from the city of Morelia in Michoacán, and the city name in turn honors José María Morelos y Pavón, a leader of the Mexican War of Independence. Since the given name comes from a place name built on a surname, it has no established literal meaning. The Spanish surname Morelos is a family name of uncertain origin rather than a transparent form of an everyday Spanish word.
Morelia Name History & Origins
The place that gave the name its form was founded in 1541 in the Michoacán region of New Spain as Valladolid, also called Nueva Valladolid de Michoacán, and it became a center of colonial administration and church authority. In 1828 the state congress renamed the city Morelia in honor of José María Morelos y Pavón (1765 - 1815), the priest and military commander who led insurgent forces during the Mexican War of Independence and was executed in 1815. The personal name Morelia follows the renaming of the city, which is why it appears chiefly in Mexico and among Mexican communities elsewhere.
How Popular is the Name Morelia?
Morelia has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1996. Its best rank was #2,099 in 1996.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,522 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #8,251 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #11,900 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #11,845 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,361 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #9,542 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #11,162 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #11,331 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #12,531 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #9,946 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #11,642 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #8,439 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #7,367 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #7,327 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2010 | #6,321 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2009 | #7,958 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #6,081 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #3,893 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #3,541 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2005 | #3,396 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2004 | #2,799 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2003 | #2,947 | 52 | 0.0028% |
| 2002 | #3,320 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2001 | #2,685 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 2000 | #3,855 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1999 | #4,413 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #4,105 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #2,723 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1996 | #2,099 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 1995 | #10,198 | 8 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Morelia Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Morelia's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Morelia's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.