Moran, ó Moráin
A Gaelic surname meaning descendant of Mórán, diminutive of mór meaning ‘tall, great’. A sept of Uí Fiachrach, who occupied an area on both sides of the river moy. The chief of the sept resided at Ardnaree, near Ballina, Mayo. To be distinguished from : ó Mughróin a Gaelic surname meaning descendant of Mughrón, meaning “lad of the seals”. A sept of the Síl Muireadaigh, in the present Roscommon, who were chiefs of Clann Cathail. ó Moghráin a Gaelic surname meaning descendant of Mughrón, diminutive of mór meaning slave-seal. A sept of the Uí Mhaine in Galway, who were chiefs of Cruffon, a district comprising the barony of Killian and part of Ballymoe. In 1890 Moran was the fifty-sixth most numerous name in Ireland and the estimated number of bearers was 11,800. In that year the surname was nearly to be found in every, but was chiefly to be found in Mayo, Dublin, Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim and Kerry. In the United States it is the 444th most numerous surname with an estimated 71,500 bearers. It is numerous in the state of Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. In England and Wales in 1996 it was the 392nd most numerous surname.