NameCensus.

UK surname

Marchbanks

A habitational surname referring to someone residing near a riverside or a marshy bank.

In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Marchbanks surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #25,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Renfrew West, Hawick Central and Renfrew South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marchbanks is 128 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.0%.

1881 census count

55

Ranked #25,862

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1998

128 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marchbanks had 55 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Marchbanks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marchbanks surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marchbanks 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 55 #25,862
1891 historical 85 #26,080
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 52 #27,620
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 109 #28,145
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Marchbanks' 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 Renfrew West, Hawick Central, Renfrew South, North Tyneside and Dover. 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 Renfrew West Renfrewshire
2 Hawick Central Scottish Borders
3 Renfrew South Renfrewshire
4 North Tyneside 012 North Tyneside
5 Dover 002 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marchbanks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marchbanks

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marchbanks, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Marchbanks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Marchbanks household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Marchbanks is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marchbanks is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marchbanks falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marchbanks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Marchbanks

The surname Marchbanks is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a boundary or march of a particular area.

The name is derived from the Old English words "mære" meaning boundary and "banc" meaning ridge or bank. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name Marchbanks resided near a ridge or bank that marked the boundary of a town, estate, or region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire, dated 1205, which lists a Robert de Marchebanche. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Marchebaunke and Marchbanck, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable example is John Marchebaunke, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.

The Marchbanks surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Marchbank Wood in Northumberland and Marchbanks Farm in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. These locations may have served as the original homesteads or settlements of families bearing the name.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname Marchbanks, one can mention:

1. John Marchbanks (c. 1510 - 1587), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Ipswich in 1558. 2. William Marchbanks (c. 1570 - 1631), an English clergyman and author of theological works. 3. Robert Marchbanks (1668 - 1735), a Scottish merchant and landowner in Dunbartonshire. 4. Elizabeth Marchbanks (1743 - 1812), a British philanthropist and founder of the Marchbanks Charity School in London. 5. George Marchbanks (1822 - 1899), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Throughout its history, the surname Marchbanks has maintained a presence in various regions of the British Isles, particularly in England and Scotland, reflecting its origins as a locational name rooted in the landscape and boundary markers of medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marchbanks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marchbanks 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. Lanarkshire leads with 16 Marchbanks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.22x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 16 9.22x
Midlothian 15 20.88x
Durham 13 8.15x
Selkirkshire 3 61.86x
Clackmannanshire 2 45.15x
Middlesex 2 0.37x
Norfolk 2 2.43x
Perthshire 1 4.15x
Renfrewshire 1 2.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sunderland in Durham leads with 11 Marchbanks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.07x.

Place Total Index
Sunderland 11 390.07x
West Calder 10 704.23x
Crawfordjohn 7 4666.67x
Douglas 4 800.00x
Govan 3 6.99x
Melrose 3 245.90x
Alloa 2 93.02x
Cramond 2 370.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 6.92x
Fulham London 2 25.71x
Lanark 2 142.86x
Tilney St Lawrence 2 1538.46x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 70.92x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 14.47x
Lecropt 1 909.09x
West Greenock 1 13.40x
Whickham 1 68.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Joseph 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2
Edward 1
Hector 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Robert 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 Marchbanks households.

FAQ

Marchbanks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marchbanks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Marchbanks surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marchbanks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Marchbanks a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Marchbanks surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone residing near a riverside or a marshy bank.

What does the Marchbanks map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Marchbanks 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.