"If they bite thee, bite them." A Brief History Origin Displayed: English Spelling variations include: Morland, Morley, Moorland, Morthland, Morlay and many more. First found in Westmoreland where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Thomas Morland settled in Virginia in 1650; Eleanor Morland with her husband settled in Virginia in 1774; Robert Morland settled in Boston in 1820; Ralph and Catherine Morley settled in Salem in 1630. Suggested Readings for the name Moreland. A Genealogical Record of the Family and Descendants of David E. Moreland by John Capron Funk, Stepping Stones O'er More-land: A History of the Moreland Families by P.S. Bennett.