NameCensus.

UK surname

Marles

A variant spelling of the English surname "Marlowe", derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" or "fen".

In the 1881 census there were 269 people recorded with the Marles surname, ranking it #10,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 338, ranked #13,533, down from #10,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, North Warwickshire and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marles is 407 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.7%.

1881 census count

269

Ranked #10,506

Modern count

338

2016, ranked #13,533

Peak year

1911

407 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marles had 269 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 338 in 2016, ranked #13,533.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 407 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Marles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marles 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 269 #10,506
1891 historical 308 #10,886
1901 historical 319 #11,166
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 352 #12,117
1998 modern 382 #11,779
1999 modern 385 #11,771
2000 modern 361 #12,288
2001 modern 351 #12,349
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 332 #12,951
2005 modern 330 #12,939
2006 modern 325 #13,165
2007 modern 321 #13,403
2008 modern 327 #13,350
2009 modern 337 #13,318
2010 modern 342 #13,440
2011 modern 319 #14,000
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 347 #13,260
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 338 #13,533

Geography

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Where Marles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tormoham with Torquay, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, Swansea and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, North Warwickshire and Monmouthshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
3 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 Swansea Glamorganshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 004 East Devon
2 East Devon 013 East Devon
3 East Devon 018 East Devon
4 North Warwickshire 004 North Warwickshire
5 Monmouthshire 009 Monmouthshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marles

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Marles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Marles 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Marles is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marles is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marles falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Marles

The surname Marles is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Languedoc. It is a locative surname, derived from the place name "Marles," which refers to several small towns and villages in southern France.

The earliest known record of the name Marles dates back to the 12th century, appearing in various medieval documents and charters from the Languedoc region. One notable reference is found in the Cartulaire de Castres, a collection of charters and deeds from the town of Castres, where the name "de Marles" is mentioned in connection with several landowners and noblemen.

In the 13th century, the name Marles can be found in the Trésor des Chartes, a significant collection of royal charters and documents from the French monarchy. This suggests that the Marles family had gained some prominence and influence during this period.

The origin of the place name "Marles" itself is uncertain, but it is believed to be derived from the Late Latin word "marla," meaning a small piece of land or a plot of cultivated ground. This etymology reflects the agricultural roots of the Marles name, which was likely associated with landowners and farmers in the Languedoc region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Marles was Jean de Marles, a French nobleman who lived in the late 12th century and was a vassal of the Count of Toulouse. Another notable figure was Guilhem de Marles, a 13th-century troubadour and poet from the town of Marles-les-Mines.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Froissart's Chronicles, a historical work written by the medieval author Jean Froissart, who mentions a certain Arnaud de Marles as a knight in the service of the French king.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Marles family produced several notable figures, including Jacques de Marles (1545-1626), a French lawyer and magistrate, and Antoine de Marles (1612-1679), a French priest and theologian.

Other historical figures with the surname Marles include Jean-Baptiste de Marles (1693-1766), a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, and Charles-François de Marles (1738-1808), a French military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marles 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. Devon leads with 96 Marles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.64x.

County Total Index
Devon 96 17.64x
Middlesex 43 1.64x
Sussex 31 7.03x
Cheshire 21 3.64x
Warwickshire 13 1.97x
Glamorgan 12 2.64x
Gloucestershire 12 2.34x
Leicestershire 7 2.42x
Oxfordshire 7 4.34x
Lincolnshire 6 1.44x
Cornwall 4 1.35x
Kent 4 0.45x
Surrey 4 0.31x
Durham 3 0.39x
Wiltshire 2 0.87x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Hampshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnstaple in Devon leads with 19 Marles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 222.48x.

Place Total Index
Barnstaple 19 222.48x
Islington London 18 7.10x
Tormoham 15 65.16x
Ashreigney 14 2333.33x
Tranmere 13 61.29x
Brighton 12 13.50x
Swansea Town 12 32.15x
Preston 11 142.86x
Crediton 10 193.80x
Hackney London 9 6.14x
Birkenhead 8 17.39x
Hove 8 41.37x
Chulmleigh 7 564.52x
Leicester St Margaret 7 9.90x
Turkdean 7 2592.59x
Christow 6 1132.08x
Kensington London 6 4.13x
Kingham 6 1090.91x
West Teignmouth 6 144.23x
Sibsey 5 531.91x
Aston 4 2.20x
Callington 4 232.56x
Haseley 4 2000.00x
Hatherleigh 4 296.30x
Poplar London 4 8.11x
Clerkenwell London 3 4.86x
Rowington 3 405.41x
Stockton On Tees 3 8.00x
Battersea 2 2.08x
Bridford 2 512.82x
Chelsea London 2 2.54x
Cockington 2 625.00x
East Budleigh 2 78.13x
Leeds 2 1.37x
Plumstead 2 6.73x
Sherborne 2 392.16x
Stratton St Margaret 2 56.34x
Winkleigh 2 183.49x
Balsall 1 97.09x
Bristol St Paul In 1 7.32x
Camberwell 1 0.60x
Chipping Campden 1 59.88x
Chudleigh 1 57.80x
Compton Gifford 1 58.48x
Cow Honeybourne 1 303.03x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 8.03x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 18.02x
Gravesend 1 13.25x
Hennock 1 144.93x
Holbeach 1 21.51x
Kenn 1 117.65x
Leamington Priors 1 6.17x
Lewisham 1 2.10x
Portsea 1 0.95x
Putney 1 8.40x
Pyrton 1 196.08x
St George Hanover 1 2.93x
Swimbridge 1 90.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 18
Mary 16
Sarah 8
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Frances 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Rosina 2
Susan 2
Susanna 2
Caroline 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Florance 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Letitia 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
M.Ellen 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marianne 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Miney 1
Mira 1
Rose 1
Thurza 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Marles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 269 people were recorded with the Marles surname. That placed it at #10,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 338 in 2016. That gives Marles a modern rank of #13,533.

What does the Marles surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname "Marlowe", derived from a place name meaning "remnants of a lake" or "fen".

What does the Marles map show?

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