Surname Morscheid - Meaning and Origin

Morscheid: What does the surname Morscheid mean?

The last name Morscheid is derived from the Middle High German term ‘morschen’, which means ‘to rot or perish’. It is believed that the name began as a nickname for an unsavory individual, someone who was offensive in some way, or someone who possessed qualities that made them effectively ‘rot’ away on the inside. However, over time, adaptations of this word have morphed into many different variations, including the surname ‘Morscheid’.

Regarded as a toponymic surname, this name looks back to a geographic origin for its bearer - a place where a person’s ancestors may have once lived. In some regions of Germany, for example, there is a small town called Morscheid in Rhineland-Palatinate, giving modern Morscheid’s the possibility of tracing their roots back to that specific area.

However, beyond its origin and place of origin, very little is known about the Morscheids besides the fact that the name has been in existence for a few centuries. It is certainly possible that the original bearer of the name was a person of some distinction who left behind influential descendants who carried their name to distant places, but mostly, the Morscheid’s have remained fairly anonymous through the years.

Morscheid: Where does the name Morscheid come from?

The surname Morscheid is most strongly associated with Germany and many variants of the name can be found there today. While some variants of the name were quite common in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, and lower Saxony during the 19th century, there is no clear indication that any single variant of it was the most popular of the time.

However, due to increased levels of immigration, the surname Morscheid can now be found all over the world. In Europe, a large proportion of individuals with the surname live in Germany, but the name can also be found in countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The name has recently been found in other countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil. In the United States the Morscheid surname is most prominent in California, New York, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. In Australia, the name is most common in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

The global distribution of the surname Morscheid is impressive, but it cannot be determined with any certainty whether any particular variant is the most common. However, it is fair to suggest that the surname Morscheid is now commonplace in many countries around the world.

Variations of the surname Morscheid

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Morscheid include: Morcheid, Morscheid, Morschied, Morschid, Mörschied, Mörschhed, Mörschiedt, Mörschiede, Mörschiedel, Mörsching, Mörschinger, Mörschke, Mürschied, Mürschke, and Mirecheit.

The Morscheid name originates from the area surrounding the Rhine river in Westphalia, Germany. The origin of the name is believed to be derived from the German phrase "Morsbach", which translates as "Moor Stream".

Morscheid is a variant of the surname Marcheid, which is derived from the Latin personal name Marcius. This long-established German surname can be traced back to medieval time.

The Morcheids were longtime small landholders in the Palatinate region of Germany and had various surnames throughout different towns. For example, in Landau the spellings Mörsching, Mürsching, and Mürschke were the most commonly used surnames. In neighboring Kaiserslautern, Morschied, Mörschied, Morscheid, and Mörschiedel were more widespread.

Today, the name can be found in various forms throughout Luxembourg, France, and the United States due to emigration of Morscheid families in the early 20th century.

Famous people with the name Morscheid

• Philipp Morscheid: A German football and futsal player who plays for FC Mengede 08/20 in the regional Ruhr League.
• Larissa Morscheid: An international professional chess player who represented Germany in two World Junior Chess Championships.
• Thomas Morscheid: An artist, designer, and sculptor from Germany. He is best known for his works in metal sculpture and design.
• Günter Morscheid: A German politician who served as a delegate to the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1996 to 2000.
• Kai Morscheid: An acclaimed German theater director who has had success in creating successful musicals, dramas, and opera.
• Raik Morscheid: A former German handball player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
• Bernd Morscheid: A German historian, author, and research professor at the University of Cologne.
• Heinrich Morscheid: A renowned German linguist and professor at the University of Cologne who was a part of the famous linguistics school known as the Jena School.
• Claudia Morscheid: A German writer, lyricist, and composer. She is best known for her works focused on friendships and relationships.
• Johannes Morscheid: A German priest from the region of Westphalia who was a big advocate against the persecution of churches in the region.

Other surnames

MorscheidtMorscheit