NameCensus.

UK surname

Marcel

A French surname derived from the Roman name Marcellus or the given name Marcel.

In the 1881 census there were 5 people recorded with the Marcel surname, ranking it #33,110 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #33,110 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marcel is 142 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 2740.0%.

1881 census count

5

Ranked #33,110

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2016

142 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marcel had 5 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,110 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 14 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Marcel surname distribution map

The map shows where the Marcel surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Marcel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marcel over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 14 #30,790
1861 historical 12 #32,329
1881 historical 5 #33,110
1891 historical 5 #33,939
1901 historical 10 #33,026
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 80 #29,554
1998 modern 80 #29,966
1999 modern 81 #30,037
2000 modern 84 #29,706
2001 modern 78 #30,168
2002 modern 86 #29,771
2003 modern 73 #31,186
2004 modern 76 #31,125
2005 modern 77 #31,156
2006 modern 83 #30,808
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 96 #29,654
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 117 #27,394
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Marcels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Waltham Forest, Eastbourne and Hackney. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hounslow 008 Hounslow
2 Kensington and Chelsea 017 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Waltham Forest 017 Waltham Forest
4 Eastbourne 014 Eastbourne
5 Hackney 010 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marcel

These lists show first names that appear often with the Marcel surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marcel

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marcel, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Marcel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Marcel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Marcel is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marcel is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marcel falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marcel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Marcel, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Marcel

The surname Marcel originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name Marcellus, which itself comes from the Roman family name Marcius or Marcus. Marcel was a widespread name in France from an early period, appearing in various forms such as Marceau, Marçau, and Marsault.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marcel can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, a landowner named Marcel is listed as holding lands in Gloucestershire.

In the 12th century, a French troubadour and poet named Arnaut Marcel gained recognition for his works written in the Occitan language. He lived from around 1150 to 1225 and hailed from the region of Quercy in southern France.

During the 13th century, the name Marcel was associated with several notable individuals. Pierre Marcel, born around 1200, was a French scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Paris. Another Pierre Marcel, born in 1281, was a French prelate and diplomat who became the Bishop of Arras.

The 14th century saw the rise of Étienne Marcel, a prominent Parisian bourgeois and revolutionary figure. Born around 1310, he played a significant role in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War and led an uprising against the French monarchy in 1358.

In the 15th century, the name Marcel was linked to several places in France, such as the commune of Marcel in the Indre department and the town of Saint-Marcel in the Ardèche department.

Notable individuals with the surname Marcel throughout history include:

1. Claude Marcel (1793-1876), a French lawyer and politician. 2. Étienne Marcel (1310-1358), the Parisian bourgeois and revolutionary leader mentioned earlier. 3. Gabriel Marcel (1889-1973), a renowned French philosopher and Christian existentialist. 4. Jacques Marcel (1793-1850), a French scientist and inventor who contributed to the development of early photography. 5. Pierre Marcel (1281-1362), the French prelate and diplomat mentioned earlier.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marcel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marcel surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4 Marcels recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4 10.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George Hanover in Middlesex leads with 3 Marcels recorded in 1881 and an index of 588.24x.

Place Total Index
St George Hanover 3 588.24x
Clerkenwell London 1 108.70x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Marcel surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Constance 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Marcel surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Francis 1
Henry 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Marcel households.

FAQ

Marcel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marcel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5 people were recorded with the Marcel surname. That placed it at #33,110 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marcel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Marcel a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Marcel surname mean?

A French surname derived from the Roman name Marcellus or the given name Marcel.

What does the Marcel map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Marcel bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.