Mora is a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

surname.

Origins

Mora is a surname with old Roman (Latin) origins that originated in Spain and Portugal, but Mora was first found in Castile, one of medieval Spain's most important Christian kingdoms. Mora translates to "

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...

", which is an edible fruit. In ancient times, this was an industrial surname for someone who grew and farmed these berries. Additionally, surname "mora" derives from the habitual people who once "lived at one of the many places on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

uring the 16th centurycalled 'Mora'". Typically after people abandoned their original homes and relocated to a new place, they were granted habitational surnames explaining why there are many different surnames.

Popularity

Mora had the highest family population In

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

during the 1840s. After that In the United States the number of people carrying the Mora last name grew 10,011 percent between 1880. Mora is the 1,039th most frequent surname in the U. S., with an approximate 29,844 people with the name. Mora is also the 659th most frequent surname in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, with an estimated 7,193 people bearing the name.

Geographical Distribution

This last name is most commonly used in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, where it is carried by 183,731 people, or 1 in 676. ‘Mora’ is most numerous in: México, where 13% reside in

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

, 13% reside in

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

. Overall, "Mora" Barring Mexico surnames exist in 156 countries. It also occurs in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, where 15 percent reside and

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. Notable people with the surname include:

Arts and literature

* Barry Mora (1940/41–2021), New Zealand operatic baritone * Domingo Mora (d. 1911), Spanish born American sculptor and father of F. Luis Mora and Jo Mora *

F. Luis Mora Francis Luis Mora (July 27, 1874 – June 5, 1940) was a Uruguayan-born American figural painter. Mora worked in watercolor, oils and tempera. He produced drawings in pen and ink, and graphite; and etchings and monotypes. He is known for his pain ...

(1874–1940), Hispanic American artist and illustrator *

Ferenc Móra Ferenc Móra (19 July 1879 – 8 February 1934) was a Hungarian novelist, journalist, and museologist. Life Ferenc Móra was born in Kiskunfélegyháza, into a financially poor family. His father Márton Móra was a tailor, and his mother ...

(1879–1934), Hungarian writer * Hermógenes L. Mora (born 1979), Nicaraguan poet *

Jo Mora Joseph Jacinto Mora (October 22, 1876 – October 10, 1947) was a Uruguayan-born American cowboy, photographer, artist, cartoonist, illustrator, painter, muralist, sculptor, and historian who lived with the Hopi and wrote about his experiences in ...

(1876–1947), American artist * José Mora (1642–1724), Spanish sculptor *

José Ferrater Mora José María Ferrater Mora ( ca, Josep Ferrater i Mora; 30 October 1912 – 30 January 1991) was a Spain, Spanish philosopher, essayist and writer. He is considered the most prominent Catalan philosopher of the 20th-century and was the author ...

(1912–1991), Catalan philosopher, essayist and writer *

Lola Mora Dolores Candelaria Mora Vega (November 17, 1866 – June 7, 1936) known professionally as Lola Mora, was a sculptor born in San Miguel de Tucumán, in Argentina. She is known today as a rebel and a pioneer of women in her artistic field. Early ...

(1866–1936), Argentine sculptor * Manuel Argüello Mora (1834–1902), Costa Rican writer *

Mirka Mora Mirka Madeleine Mora (18 March 1928 – 27 August 2018) was a French-born Australian visual artist and cultural figure who contributed significantly to the development of contemporary art in Australia. Her media included drawing, painting, s ...

(1928–2018), French-born Australian visual artist *

Pat Mora Pat Mora (born January 19, 1942 in El Paso, Texas) is an American poet and author of books for adults, teens and children. Her grandparents came to El Paso from northern Mexico. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, she received Honor ...

(born 1942), American poet and writer *

Philippe Mora Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French Australian film director. Early life and career Philippe Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949, and grew up at the centre of the Australian arts scene of the 1950s and began making films with an 8mm camera ...

(born 1949), French-born Australian film director * Rick Mora (born 1975), Native American actor *

Tiriel Mora Tiriel Mora (born 19 October 1958) is an Australian television and film actor. Early life He is a son of the late Melbourne artist Mirka Mora and Georges Mora, German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaur ...

(born 1958), Australian television and film actor *

Víctor Mora (comics) Víctor Mora (6 June 1931 – 17 August 2016) was a Spanish comic book writer. Born in Barcelona, Mora created and wrote the series ''Capitán Trueno'', ''El Jabato'', ' (art by Carlos Giménez (comics), Carlos Giménez), ''El Cosaco Verde'', an ...

(1931–2016), pseudonym of Eugenio Roca, Spanish writer of comic books

Business and commerce

* Evelyn Mora (born 1992), Finnish entrepreneur *

Georges Mora Georges Mora (26 June 1913 – 7 June 1992) was a German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaurateur. Early life Mora was born Gunter Morawski on 26 June 1913 in Leipzig, Germany, of Jewish Polish heritage ...

(1913–1992), German-born Australian entrepreneur, art dealer, patron, connoisseur and restaurateur

Law and politics

Alberto J. Mora Alberto José Mora (born April 11, 1952) is a former General Counsel of the Navy. He led an effort within the Defense Department to oppose the legal theories of John Yoo and to try to end the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay. Mora is featured ...

(born 1951), General Counsel of the United States Navy (2001–2006) *

Alejandra Mora Mora Alejandra Mora Mora (born 1970) is a Costa Rican jurist, lawyer, professor, and politician. She has been a human rights activist, especially in the area of women's rights. She served as her country's Minister of Women's Affairs from 2014 to 2018, ...

(born 1970), Costa Rican lawyer, professor, and politician * Joaquín Mora Fernández (1786–1862), provisional head of state of Costa Rica in 1837 *

José María Luis Mora José María Luis Mora Lamadrid (12 October 1794, Chamacuero, Guanajuato – 14 July 1850, Paris, France) was a priest, lawyer, historian, politician and liberal ideologist. Considered one of the first supporters of liberalism in Mexico, he fough ...

(1794–1850), Mexican priest, lawyer, historian, politician, and progressive (liberal) ideologue *

Juan Mora Fernández Juan Mora Fernández (July 12, 1784, San José, Costa Rica – November 16, 1854) was Costa Rica's first elected head of state. He was considered a liberal and decided to move the capital from Cartago to Puntarenas. Juan Mora was elected as ...

(1784–1854), Costa Rica's first elected head of state, brother of Joaquín Mora Fernández *

Juan Rafael Mora Porras Juan Rafael Mora Porras (8 February 1814, San José, Costa Rica – 30 September 1860) was President of Costa Rica from 1849 to 1859. Life and career He first assumed the presidency following the resignation of his younger brother, Miguel M ...

(1814–1860), President of Costa Rica (1849–1859) *

Miguel Mora Porras José Miguel Mora Porras (29 September 1816 – 15 June 1887) was interim President of Costa Rica from 15 November to 26 November 1849, when he turned over power to his older brother Juan Rafael Mora Porras Juan Rafael Mora Porras (8 Februar ...

(1816–1887), President of Costa Rica in 1849 *

Patricia Mora Castellanos Ana Patricia Mora Castellanos (born 13 January 1951) is a Costa Rican sociologist, university professor, and politician. Biography Patricia Mora Castellanos was born on 13 January 1951. She was president of the National Executive Committee of the ...

(born 1951), Costa Rican academic and politician

Sports

American football

Jim E. Mora James Ernest Mora (born May 24, 1935) is a former American football coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1986 to 1996 and the Indianapolis C ...

(born 1935), former National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League head coach * Jim L. Mora (born 1961), former NFL and college head coach, son of Jim E. Mora

Baseball

* Jesús Mora (baseball) (born 1933), Venezuelan ballplayer *

Melvin Mora Melvin Mora Diaz (born February 2, 1972) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). From h ...

(born 1972), Venezuelan professional baseball player

Cycling

Naima Mora Naima Mora (born March 1, 1984) is an American fashion model and the winner of Cycle 4 of ''America's Next Top Model''. Biography Early life Mora was born in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of jazz vocalist and entrepreneur Theresa Mora and ja ...

(born 1984), ''Americas Next Top Model'' Cycle 4 winner * Néstor Mora (1963–1995), Colombian cyclist

Football

Bruno Mora Bruno Mora (; 29 March 1937 – 10 December 1986) was an Italian football player and coach, who played as a right winger. He began his club career with U.C. Sampdoria, and later won domestic and international titles with Juventus F.C. and A.C. ...

(1937–1986), Italian football player and coach * Cristian Mora (born 1979), Ecuadorian football goalkeeper * Iris Mora (born 1981), Mexican Olympic footballer * José Francisco Mora (born 1981), Spanish footballer * Juan Luis Mora (born 1973), Spanish retired football goalkeeper * Octavio Mora (born 1965), Mexican former footballer * Sergio Mora Sánchez (born 1979), Spanish footballer *

Sergio Mora Sergio Mora (born December 4, 1980) is an American former professional boxer. He is a former WBC light middleweight champion, and twice challenged for the WBA (Regular) middleweight title. He was the first winner of NBC's '' The Contender'' s ...

, Costa Rican-American footballer

Other

Alfonso Mora Alfonso Mora (; born May 23, 1964) an American-born Venezuelan former professional tennis player. He enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 2 doubles titles. He also played Davis-Cup for Venezuela and ...

(born 1964), Venezuelan former tennis player *

(born 1980), Mexican-American boxer and former World Boxing Council light middleweight champion * Víctor Mora (runner) (born 1944), Colombian long-distance runner

Other

* Jim Mora (broadcaster), New Zealand television and radio presenter *

Marie T. Mora Marie T. Mora (born November 7, 1969) is an American economist who currently acts as Provost Ad Interim at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She was also a former tenured faculty member at New Mexico State University. Mora's research foc ...

, American economist

References

{{Reflist Catalan-language surnames Spanish-language surnames

Origins

Popularity

Geographical Distribution

Arts and literature

Business and commerce

Law and politics

Sports

American football

Baseball

Cycling

Football

Other

Other

See also

References