NameCensus.

UK surname

Marnell

A surname derived from a pet form of the Brittonic name Marinus, meaning "of the sea."

In the 1881 census there were 19 people recorded with the Marnell surname, ranking it #30,872 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 236, ranked #17,470, up from #30,872 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Islington and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marnell is 243 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1142.1%.

1881 census count

19

Ranked #30,872

Modern count

236

2016, ranked #17,470

Peak year

2014

243 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marnell had 19 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,872 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016, ranked #17,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 76 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Marnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marnell surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marnell 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 19 #30,872
1891 historical 35 #31,540
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 47 #28,110
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 181 #19,380
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 182 #19,039
2002 modern 189 #18,950
2003 modern 191 #18,628
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 192 #18,753
2007 modern 201 #18,428
2008 modern 210 #18,052
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 229 #17,805
2011 modern 220 #18,096
2012 modern 229 #17,537
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 243 #17,232
2015 modern 241 #17,235
2016 modern 236 #17,470

Geography

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Where Marnells 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 Swansea, Islington, Halton, Cheshire West and Chester and Bromsgrove. 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 Swansea 002 Swansea
2 Islington 015 Islington
3 Halton 009 Halton
4 Cheshire West and Chester 034 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Bromsgrove 010 Bromsgrove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marnell

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Marnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Marnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Marnell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marnell is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marnell 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 Marnell 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Marnell

The surname Marnell is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "maere," meaning "famous" or "renowned," combined with the Middle English suffix "-nel," signifying a diminutive form, giving the name a meaning of "little famous one."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marnell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Marnell" in the county of Essex. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name Marnell appeared in various forms, such as "Marnelle" and "Marnelle," in records from the counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. These variations in spelling were common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The surname Marnell has also been associated with place names, such as Marnel in Buckinghamshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname. Additionally, the name has been linked to the village of Marnhull in Dorset, suggesting a possible connection between the surname and this location.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Marnell include:

1. William Marnell (c. 1450-1520), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. John Marnell (1608-1678), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire, England. 3. Elizabeth Marnell (1670-1745), an English writer and poet who published a collection of poems titled "The Muse's Delight" in 1717. 4. Thomas Marnell (1785-1864), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent landowner in Cornwall. 5. Sir Robert Marnell (1820-1892), a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Marnell Engineering Company in Manchester, which played a significant role in the development of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.

While the surname Marnell is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, with its origins rooted in Old English and Middle English language roots, and has been associated with various places and notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marnell 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. Lancashire leads with 11 Marnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.01x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 11 5.01x
Surrey 3 3.32x
Glamorgan 2 6.20x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 37.31x
Middlesex 1 0.54x
Wiltshire 1 6.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 6 Marnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.94x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 6 44.94x
Newington 3 43.86x
Coyty Lower 2 952.38x
Haydock 2 526.32x
Kelton 1 454.55x
Marlborough St Peter St 1 1250.00x
Sutton 1 135.14x
West Derby 1 15.55x
Westminster St 1 147.06x
Wigan 1 32.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Catherine 1
Jane 1
Johanna 1
Margt. 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Robt. 2
Daniel 1
Edward 1
George 1
Richard 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 Marnell households.

FAQ

Marnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19 people were recorded with the Marnell surname. That placed it at #30,872 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016. That gives Marnell a modern rank of #17,470.

What does the Marnell surname mean?

A surname derived from a pet form of the Brittonic name Marinus, meaning "of the sea."

What does the Marnell map show?

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