Fun Facts About the Name Mori
- 129 babies named Mori: U.S. records list 129 babies given the name Mori from 1880 through 2025. Even 47 boys received the name Mori - about 1 boy for every 2 girls.
What Does the Name Mori Mean?
Mori is a Japanese name meaning "forest," written 森. The character is made of three 木 ("tree") elements and denotes a wooded place. In Japan it is much more often a surname than a given name. As a given name, Mori is uncommon, and because Japanese given names can be written with different kanji, the meaning depends on the characters chosen; 森 is one possible form, with the literal sense "forest."
A separate Hebrew word, mori (מורי), means "my teacher." It is formed from moreh ("teacher") and the first-person possessive ending -i. In Jewish religious usage it is an honorific title, and it is unrelated to the Japanese 森.
Mori Name History & Origins
The Japanese surname 森 is usually a topographic name, taken from the word for a forest or wooded place. It is widespread in Japan and existed before the modern surname system; after the Meiji government required families to register surnames in the late 19th century, many households adopted topographic names of this type. The surname is distinct from the unrelated Mōri (毛利) clan name, which has a long ō and different characters.
The Hebrew title mori belongs to rabbinic and later Jewish religious usage as a respectful form of address for a teacher or rabbi, including the phrase mori ve-rabbi. Its use as a personal name is less common than its use as a title.
How Popular is the Name Mori?
Mori 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 2024. Its best rank was #6,175 in 1960.
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 | #12,770 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #14,605 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #13,157 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #16,903 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #12,560 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #11,394 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #10,030 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #11,525 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #7,875 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #9,178 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #6,369 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #6,175 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #6,599 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #6,448 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,346 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #8,100 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #10,434 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #13,402 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #13,951 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2004 | #10,895 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #7,540 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Mori 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.
✦ Mori's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mori's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.