NameCensus.

UK surname

Marren

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maoráin, meaning "descendant of Maoráns."

In the 1881 census there were 167 people recorded with the Marren surname, ranking it #14,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 414, ranked #11,574, up from #14,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leek, Eccles and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burnley, Barnsley and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marren is 453 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 147.9%.

1881 census count

167

Ranked #14,443

Modern count

414

2016, ranked #11,574

Peak year

2011

453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marren had 167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 414 in 2016, ranked #11,574.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Marren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marren surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marren 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 185 #12,799
1881 historical 167 #14,443
1891 historical 252 #12,685
1901 historical 269 #12,518
1911 historical 240 #13,281
1997 modern 427 #10,476
1998 modern 437 #10,637
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 430 #10,804
2001 modern 427 #10,673
2002 modern 450 #10,452
2003 modern 431 #10,653
2004 modern 414 #11,005
2005 modern 417 #10,833
2006 modern 406 #11,108
2007 modern 406 #11,249
2008 modern 411 #11,232
2009 modern 432 #11,048
2010 modern 444 #11,017
2011 modern 453 #10,732
2012 modern 450 #10,654
2013 modern 436 #11,106
2014 modern 437 #11,176
2015 modern 422 #11,409
2016 modern 414 #11,574

Geography

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Where Marrens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leek, Eccles, Liverpool, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burnley, Barnsley, Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent and Wigan. 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 Leek Staffordshire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burnley 010 Burnley
2 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
3 Bradford 009 Bradford
4 Stoke-on-Trent 007 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Wigan 030 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marren

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Marren surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Marren household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Marren is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marren 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

Marren 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 Marren 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 Marren, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Marren

The surname MARREN is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "marún," which means "small sailor" or "little mariner." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with seafaring individuals or those who lived in coastal areas.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MARREN surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals reference a certain Seán Marún, who was a prominent figure in County Donegal during the late 16th century.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname MARREN was predominantly concentrated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in areas such as Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with the name appearing as MARRON, MARRIN, and MARRON, among others.

A notable figure bearing the MARREN surname was John Marren (1700-1776), an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Down and Connor from 1752 until his death. Another individual of historical significance was Patrick Marren (1820-1890), an Irish journalist and politician who was a member of the British House of Commons representing the constituency of Kilkenny City.

In the 19th century, the MARREN name began to spread beyond Ireland due to the Irish diaspora, with many families emigrating to countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. One prominent Australian figure with this surname was Michael Marren (1854-1932), a politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia.

Another notable bearer of the MARREN name was James Marren (1875-1946), an American labor leader and politician who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1917 to 1946. He played a significant role in the growth and development of the union during the early 20th century.

While the MARREN surname has its roots firmly planted in Irish soil, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marren 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 46 Marrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 46 2.88x
Northumberland 27 11.28x
Lancashire 24 1.26x
Staffordshire 16 2.95x
Durham 15 3.13x
Middlesex 15 0.93x
Cheshire 4 1.13x
Norfolk 4 1.62x
Essex 3 0.94x
Lanarkshire 3 0.58x
Warwickshire 3 0.74x
Argyllshire 2 4.46x
Midlothian 2 0.93x
Flintshire 1 2.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Keighley in Yorkshire leads with 16 Marrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.12x.

Place Total Index
Keighley 16 94.12x
Wolverhampton 16 38.31x
Bradford 11 28.49x
Humshaugh 9 3461.54x
Linthorpe 8 84.03x
Simonburn 8 3478.26x
Salford 7 12.46x
Wark 7 2500.00x
Gateshead 6 16.74x
St George In East 6 54.79x
Kensington London 5 5.59x
Leeds 5 5.55x
Whessoe 5 3571.43x
Chopwell 4 449.44x
Great Yarmouth 4 19.51x
Huddersfield 4 17.22x
Liverpool 4 3.45x
Oldham 4 6.49x
Aston 3 2.68x
Hulme 3 7.52x
Portgate 3 7500.00x
Wickham Bishops 3 1034.48x
Barony 2 1.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.31x
Hackney London 2 2.22x
Islington London 2 1.28x
Lismore Appin 2 134.23x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 54.20x
Wigan 2 7.49x
Worsley 2 16.99x
Bothwell 1 7.08x
Farnworth 1 8.74x
Kingsley 1 151.52x
Macclesfield 1 6.33x
Manningham 1 5.09x
North Meols 1 5.35x
Northop 1 65.36x
Wakefield 1 8.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Catherine 5
Elizabeth 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Anne 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Bridget 1
Charlotte 1
Clarinda 1
Edith 1
Elloner 1
Esther 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Marian 1
Rosana 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
Michael 10
Thomas 10
Patrick 9
James 7
William 7
Edward 3
George 3
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Hugh 2
Peter 2
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Joseph 1
Lawrence 1
Martin 1
Mike 1
Partrick 1
Tenias 1
Thos 1
Thos. 1
Vincent 1

FAQ

Marren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 167 people were recorded with the Marren surname. That placed it at #14,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 414 in 2016. That gives Marren a modern rank of #11,574.

What does the Marren surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maoráin, meaning "descendant of Maoráns."

What does the Marren map show?

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