<Tr> <Th> Region of origin </Th> <Td> Ireland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Related names </Th> <Td> Ó Móráin </Td> </Tr> <P> Moran (Irish: Ó Móráin) is a modern Irish surname and derived from membership of a medieval dynastic sept . The name means a descendent of Mórán . "Mor" in Gaelic translates as big or great and "an" as the prefix the . Morans were a respected sept of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty in the western counties of Mayo and Sligo . In Ireland, where the name descended from the Gaelic, it is generally pronounced / ˈmɒrən / MORR - ən anglicised approximate of the Irish pronunciation . </P> <P> Elsewhere, pronunciation follows the French surname, Morant, anglicised to / məˈræn / mə - RAN or / mɒˈræn / morr - AN . There are many different crests of Moran, many bearing three stars and the motto Lucent in tenebris, Latin for "They shine in darkness". Another crest, attributed to the family of a Moran family living in Ballina, County Mayo, is described thus: "Azure on a mount proper, two lions combatant or, holding between them a flagstaff also proper, therefrom a flag argent; a crest: out of amural crown, a demi - saracen, head in profile, all proper; and a motto:' Fides non timet ."' (This motto translates as "Faith does not fear" or "The Faithful Fear Not".) </P>

Where did the last name moran come from