Surname Morita - Meaning and Origin
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Morita: What does the surname Morita mean?
The last name Morita, is a patronymic meaning “son of Morito”. It was especially common in Portugal during the medieval period and is likely of Basque origin.
The surname is found in parts of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Americas. The surname is especially popular in Tokyo where there is a high concentration of Japanese families with this surname. The name is also said to be most prevalent in Brazil, followed by Argentina, Peru and Chile.
The meaning of the name is also found within a particular Japanese philosophical concept called “Morita therapy.” Developed by Dr. Shoma Morita in the 1920s, this idea focuses on the idea of inner mental control and containment in order to optimize emotional health. The philosophy pursues a middle path between mental restrictions or rationalization, and the nihilism of ishintare, a concept of total freedom.
The Morita family name is a testament to a rich and deeply cultural history. As a patronymic of Basque origin, it symbolizes a proud tradition of human survival and strong cultural identity. The particular Japanese philosophical tradition of “Morita therapy” then adds to its legacy. The idea of understanding and exploiting inner mental control to achieve emotional wellness speaks to a thought-process that has stood the test of time. As such, the name Morita carries a legacy that goes beyond language and boundaries of space.
Order DNA origin analysisMorita: Where does the name Morita come from?
The last name Morita is most commonly found in Japan and countries with significant Japanese populations such as Brazil, the United States, and Peru, though it is not unheard of in other countries.
In Japan, Morita is actually a fairly common last name. In fact, according to the Top 500 Japanese Family Name Rankings completed by the Japanese Ministry of Justice in 2007, it was listed as the 107th most common surname. This means that, in total, there are approximately 800,000 people with the surname Morita living in Japan today.
In the United States, Morita is a much less common surname. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were only 5,359 people living in the United States with Morita as their last name. However, this number has risen significantly since then, likely due to immigration from Japan and other countries with large Japanese populations.
In Brazil, Morita is an even more common surname. According to the Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics, there were 585,683 people in Brazil with the last name Morita in 2018, making it one of the top 50 surnames in the country.
Additionally, there are small numbers of people with the last name Morita living in other countries such as Peru, Mexico, and the Philippines. However, they make up a much smaller portion of the population than in the above-mentioned countries.
Variations of the surname Morita
The surname Morita can be spelled with various kanji characters and as a result, there are also different variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Some of the spellings and variants include 森田,守谷,籾田,諸田,森知,森本 and 森部.
The surname Morita can also be written with single characters from which new surnames originate. For example, the Morita surname spelled with the character 守 can become Motoda, spelled with 元 can become Motomura, and spelled with 森 can become Shigemori.
Variants from Masu may also include names like Matsu, Matsumori, Matsumura, Masuda, Monjeya, Asahi, Moro, and Morioka.
Finally, variants from Naka may include names such as Nigata, Nagata, Nakadomari, Nakashima, Nakagawa, Nakano, and Nakajima.
In conclusion, there are numerous variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Morita that vary depending on what kanji characters are used.
Famous people with the name Morita
- Akio Morita: Billionaire Japanese entrepreneur, co-founder of Sony.
- Masayuki Morita: Japanese comedian and actor, known for his roles in Black Butler (2014) and The 8-Year Engagement (2017).
- Yoshiki Morita: Japanese animator, director, producer, and head of animation studio Polygon Pictures.
- Sachio Morita: Japanese professional golfer.
- Koji Morita: Japanese mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and judoka, competed in the 2008 Olympics.
- Yasuhiko Morita: Japanese manga artist and illustrator, known for his work on the Fushigi Yûgi series.
- Ichiro Morita: Japanese film director, known for films such as Tomie vs. Zombies (2006) and Yakuza Law (2009).
- Kameyo Morita: Japanese painter and printmaker.
- Kirin Morita: Japanese fashion designer and artist.
- Hirohiko Morita: Japanese professional football player.