NameCensus.

UK surname

Marples

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "maple trees".

In the 1881 census there were 799 people recorded with the Marples surname, ranking it #4,661 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,118, ranked #5,270, down from #4,661 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eckington, Chesterfield and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marples is 1,190 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.9%.

1881 census count

799

Ranked #4,661

Modern count

1,118

2016, ranked #5,270

Peak year

1911

1,190 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marples had 799 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,661 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,118 in 2016, ranked #5,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,190 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Marples surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marples surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marples 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 573 #4,441
1861 historical 596 #4,445
1881 historical 799 #4,661
1891 historical 961 #4,303
1901 historical 1,065 #4,532
1911 historical 1,190 #3,943
1997 modern 1,160 #4,855
1998 modern 1,181 #4,944
1999 modern 1,166 #5,048
2000 modern 1,162 #5,038
2001 modern 1,138 #5,034
2002 modern 1,151 #5,089
2003 modern 1,163 #4,939
2004 modern 1,137 #5,048
2005 modern 1,111 #5,095
2006 modern 1,110 #5,104
2007 modern 1,121 #5,101
2008 modern 1,121 #5,138
2009 modern 1,135 #5,184
2010 modern 1,154 #5,223
2011 modern 1,144 #5,203
2012 modern 1,129 #5,170
2013 modern 1,138 #5,221
2014 modern 1,153 #5,186
2015 modern 1,124 #5,256
2016 modern 1,118 #5,270

Geography

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Where Marples' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eckington, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Staveley and Bakewell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire. 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 Eckington Derbyshire
2 Chesterfield Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Staveley Derbyshire
5 Bakewell Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chesterfield 002 Chesterfield
2 Bolsover 004 Bolsover
3 Chesterfield 006 Chesterfield
4 North East Derbyshire 005 North East Derbyshire
5 Chesterfield 010 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marples

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marples

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Marples is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Marples 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

Marples 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 Marples is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Marples

The surname MARPLES is of English origin, derived from a place name in the county of Cheshire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "mær" meaning "boundary" and "pol" meaning "pool" or "stream," referring to a pool or stream that marked a boundary.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to William de Marple in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. The surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Merpul, Merpill, and Merpole, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation. The modern spelling of MARPLES emerged in the 16th century and became more standardized as record-keeping improved.

One notable figure with the surname MARPLES was Thomas Marples (c. 1575-1635), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stow in Lincolnshire. Another historical figure was John Marples (1758-1831), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry from 1802 to 1806.

In the 19th century, Robert Marples (1820-1888) was a prominent English industrialist and engineer who founded the Marples Ridgway, a company that manufactured machines for the textile industry. His son, Henry Marples (1844-1915), continued the family business and expanded it further.

A more recent figure of note is Sir Alfred Marples (1907-1978), a British businessman and politician who served as the Minister of Transport under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan from 1959 to 1964. He played a significant role in the development of Britain's motorway network during that period.

While the surname MARPLES is primarily found in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. The name continues to be associated with its historical roots in Cheshire and the surrounding areas of northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marples families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marples 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. Yorkshire leads with 375 Marples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.87x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 375 4.87x
Derbyshire 282 23.20x
Lancashire 36 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 34 3.25x
Cheshire 30 1.75x
Middlesex 9 0.12x
Staffordshire 6 0.23x
Gloucestershire 5 0.33x
Lincolnshire 5 0.40x
Warwickshire 5 0.26x
Leicestershire 4 0.46x
Sussex 3 0.23x
Durham 1 0.04x
Monmouthshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 137 Marples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.53x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 137 87.53x
Sheffield 93 37.97x
Eckington 54 182.86x
Staveley 32 148.29x
Chesterfield 26 57.06x
Handsworth 25 122.91x
Baslow With Bubnell 24 1071.43x
Nether Hallam 24 23.05x
Brightside Bierlow 20 13.25x
Heeley 20 85.54x
Dronfield 17 109.11x
Ecclesfield 17 30.13x
Bolsover 16 262.73x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 19.53x
Holbeck 14 2121.21x
Whittington 12 71.34x
Liverpool 11 1.97x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 11 55.81x
Unstone 10 209.21x
Norton 9 89.82x
Birkenhead 8 5.86x
Curbar 8 952.38x
Eyam 8 235.99x
Worksop 8 25.77x
Totley 7 393.26x
Tuxford 6 233.46x
Upper Hallam 6 89.82x
Brimington 5 54.17x
Cheltenham 5 4.26x
Fishtoft 5 204.92x
Heaton Norris 5 9.53x
Holmesfield 5 381.68x
Hornsey 5 5.09x
Offcote Underwood 5 393.70x
Toxteth Park 5 1.60x
Tranmere 5 7.94x
Upperthong 5 76.45x
Wilpshire 5 675.68x
Wirksworth 5 45.25x
Barlow 4 163.27x
Cheadle 4 12.22x
Chellaston 4 303.03x
Duffield 4 41.75x
Islington London 4 0.53x
Killamarsh 4 52.91x
Leicester St Mary 4 5.75x
Manchester 4 0.97x
Batley 3 4.10x
Bedworth 3 20.99x
Brampton 3 17.66x
Brighton 3 1.14x
Harborne 3 3.57x
Harthill Cum Woodall 3 101.69x
Litchurch 3 6.13x
Repton 3 65.22x
Arnold 2 13.09x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 0.99x
Bradford 2 1.07x
Dewsbury 2 2.53x
Gorton 2 2.31x
Stockport 2 2.27x
Whitwell 2 41.41x
Alrewas 1 39.37x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 3.58x
Ardwick 1 1.20x
Chilvers Coton 1 12.42x
Derby St Peter 1 2.58x
Hasland 1 8.08x
Kimblesworth 1 32.36x
Leamington Priors 1 2.08x
Leeds 1 0.23x
Matlock 1 6.13x
Middletonby Wirksworth 1 83.33x
Newbold Dunston 1 8.66x
Standard Hill 1 40.16x
Turnditch 1 123.46x
Uttoxeter 1 7.45x
Warter 1 62.11x
Wessington 1 61.35x
Whiston 1 27.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 49
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 26
Annie 18
Eliza 17
Ann 14
Ellen 13
Hannah 12
Edith 11
Jane 11
Lucy 11
Emily 10
Emma 10
Fanny 9
Harriet 9
Clara 8
Florence 8
Alice 7
Martha 7
Anne 6
Ada 5
Kate 5
Margaret 5
Charlotte 4
Jessie 4
Helen 3
Laura 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Agnes 2
Annice 2
Catherine 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Henrietta 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Susannah 2
Bessey 1
Betsy 1
Elizabeh 1
Elizh. 1
Ellin 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Unice 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 50
John 37
George 34
Joseph 25
Thomas 25
Henry 16
James 15
Charles 13
Herbert 12
Albert 11
Robert 11
Edward 10
Harry 7
Walter 7
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Benjamin 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Frederick 4
Tom 4
Paul 3
Sam 3
Ben 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Wilfred 2
Willis 2
Ashton 1
Corneilius 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Ellis 1
Emmison 1
Enos 1
Jno. 1
Jonas 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Marples surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marples surname in 1881?

In 1881, 799 people were recorded with the Marples surname. That placed it at #4,661 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marples surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,118 in 2016. That gives Marples a modern rank of #5,270.

What does the Marples surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "maple trees".

What does the Marples map show?

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