NameCensus.

UK surname

Marris

A variant spelling of the English surname Morris, which can either derive from the given name Maurice or refer to someone from Morocco.

In the 1881 census there were 418 people recorded with the Marris surname, ranking it #7,718 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 639, ranked #8,280, down from #7,718 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, St Pancras and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, South Kesteven and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marris is 1,158 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.9%.

1881 census count

418

Ranked #7,718

Modern count

639

2016, ranked #8,280

Peak year

1891

1,158 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marris had 418 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,718 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 639 in 2016, ranked #8,280.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,158 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Marris surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marris surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marris 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 709 #3,681
1861 historical 827 #3,335
1881 historical 418 #7,718
1891 historical 1,158 #3,692
1901 historical 596 #7,109
1911 historical 574 #7,069
1997 modern 629 #7,868
1998 modern 630 #8,104
1999 modern 641 #8,050
2000 modern 630 #8,134
2001 modern 610 #8,193
2002 modern 638 #8,074
2003 modern 612 #8,203
2004 modern 624 #8,099
2005 modern 619 #8,074
2006 modern 602 #8,269
2007 modern 604 #8,310
2008 modern 611 #8,284
2009 modern 630 #8,271
2010 modern 642 #8,326
2011 modern 632 #8,346
2012 modern 663 #7,943
2013 modern 663 #8,082
2014 modern 666 #8,096
2015 modern 655 #8,145
2016 modern 639 #8,280

Geography

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Where Marris' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, St Pancras, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John, Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos and Grimsby, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, South Kesteven and North Lincolnshire. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
4 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
5 Grimsby, Great Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 002 West Lindsey
2 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
3 South Kesteven 002 South Kesteven
4 West Lindsey 008 West Lindsey
5 North Lincolnshire 017 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marris

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marris

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Marris surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Marris household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Marris is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marris 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

Marris falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marris 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 Marris, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Marris

The surname Marris originated in the medieval county of Yorkshire in northern England. It is derived from the Old English words 'mere' meaning a pool or lake, and 'hris' meaning brushwood or underwood, indicating the name initially referred to someone who lived near a brushy or reedy pool.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to 1219 in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, where a Ricardus de Meres is mentioned. Other early spellings include de Meris, Maris, and Merus. By the 13th century, the name had evolved into its more modern form of Marris.

In the 1379 Poll Tax of Yorkshire, several Marris families are listed, suggesting the name was well-established in the region by that time. The 1474 Plumpton Correspondence also references a William Marris, a landowner in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Marris, a wool merchant from Wakefield, Yorkshire, who lived from 1520 to 1587. Another notable individual was Richard Marris, a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the early 17th century.

The Marris surname can be traced back to the village of Marris near Leeds, which derived its name from the Old English words 'mere' and 'hris'. This place name connection reinforces the origin and meaning of the surname.

Other historical figures bearing the Marris name include William Marris (1654-1728), a prominent English clockmaker from London, and John Marris (1724-1796), a respected theologian and author from Yorkshire.

Throughout its history, the Marris surname has remained predominantly concentrated in Yorkshire and the surrounding northern counties of England, although it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marris families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marris 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. Lincolnshire leads with 178 Marris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.37x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 178 27.37x
Yorkshire 84 2.08x
Lancashire 16 0.33x
Middlesex 14 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 14 2.55x
Warwickshire 13 1.27x
Leicestershire 12 2.66x
Norfolk 12 1.92x
Surrey 8 0.40x
Worcestershire 8 1.51x
Hampshire 7 0.84x
Lanarkshire 6 0.46x
Oxfordshire 6 2.39x
Staffordshire 6 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.94x
Cheshire 4 0.45x
Northumberland 4 0.66x
Glamorgan 3 0.42x
Herefordshire 3 1.80x
Midlothian 3 0.55x
Derbyshire 2 0.31x
Devon 2 0.24x
Northamptonshire 2 0.52x
Sussex 2 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.41x
Kent 1 0.07x
Shropshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire leads with 24 Marris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.14x.

Place Total Index
Great Grimsby 24 58.14x
Holy Trinity 22 22.69x
Sculcoates 17 26.60x
Kirton In Lindsey 16 620.16x
Frodingham 14 603.45x
Barrow On Humber 13 344.83x
Irby On Humber 13 4193.55x
Blaxton 12 4000.00x
Edgbaston 11 34.58x
Goxhill 11 687.50x
Loughborough 9 43.97x
Caistor 8 308.88x
Snenton 8 37.14x
Kings Norton 7 14.70x
Scotter 7 469.80x
Ardwick 6 13.78x
Govan 6 1.84x
St Martin Lincoln 6 99.50x
West Halton 6 10000.00x
Wootton 6 740.74x
Worksop 6 36.90x
Brightside Bierlow 5 6.32x
Leeds 5 2.20x
Neithrop 5 59.24x
Richmond 5 18.01x
Spalding 5 38.73x
Bedlington 4 19.79x
Croxton 4 2352.94x
Golborne 4 63.59x
Norwich St George Tombland 4 363.64x
Norwich St Julian 4 152.09x
Rotherham 4 17.61x
Southcoates 4 17.87x
St Pancras London 4 1.22x
Wednesbury 4 11.66x
Ashby 3 147.06x
Bonby 3 526.32x
Clee With Weelsby 3 21.07x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 3 26.69x
Gainsborough 3 19.57x
Holy Trinity St Mary 3 48.86x
Humberstone 3 80.86x
Kensington London 3 1.33x
Llantwit Vairdre 3 37.69x
Mouldsworth 3 1200.00x
Portsea 3 1.84x
Skirbeck 3 82.19x
South Leith 3 4.89x
St Marylebone London 3 1.38x
Thorganby 3 1500.00x
Aston 2 0.71x
Barnetby Le Wold 2 169.49x
Barton St Mary 2 61.35x
Barton St Peter 2 67.11x
Bideford 2 22.05x
Brighton 2 1.45x
Broughton 2 109.89x
Chesterfield 2 8.38x
Clayton 2 20.26x
Hawerby With Beesby 2 1818.18x
Hilderthorpe 2 98.04x
Holdenhurst 2 9.14x
Kingsland 2 135.14x
Lakenham 2 22.50x
Newton By Toft 2 1666.67x
Roxby Cum Risby 2 344.83x
Scarborough 2 5.46x
St Bartholomew Hyde 2 100.50x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 17.35x
Ulceby 2 126.58x
Waddingham 2 200.00x
Westminster St James 2 4.78x
Dalton In Furness 1 5.37x
Garthorpe 1 128.21x
Keighley 1 2.33x
Liverpool 1 0.34x
Northorpe 1 400.00x
St Nicholas Lincoln 1 16.08x
Toft Next Newton 1 1000.00x
Willoughton 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
George 22
John 20
Thomas 17
Edward 10
Charles 9
James 9
Henry 8
Richard 4
Tom 4
Walter 4
Fred 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Ambrose 1
Barker 1
Carl 1
Charley 1
Claude 1
Clement 1
David 1
Dick 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Graburn 1
Hubert 1
Hunt 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Louis 1
Luke 1
Nisbet 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Saml. 1
Sarah 1
Solomon 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Willie 1
Wilson 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Marris surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marris surname in 1881?

In 1881, 418 people were recorded with the Marris surname. That placed it at #7,718 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marris surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 639 in 2016. That gives Marris a modern rank of #8,280.

What does the Marris surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Morris, which can either derive from the given name Maurice or refer to someone from Morocco.

What does the Marris map show?

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