NameCensus.

UK surname

Marrow

An English occupational surname referring to a vegetable grower or seller, derived from the Old English word "maru."

In the 1881 census there were 466 people recorded with the Marrow surname, ranking it #7,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 637, ranked #8,304, down from #7,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Wickhambrook and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Rotherham and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marrow is 637 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.7%.

1881 census count

466

Ranked #7,133

Modern count

637

2016, ranked #8,304

Peak year

2016

637 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marrow had 466 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 637 in 2016, ranked #8,304.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 588 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Marrow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marrow surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marrow 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 394 #6,105
1861 historical 489 #5,336
1881 historical 466 #7,133
1891 historical 582 #6,560
1901 historical 491 #8,160
1911 historical 588 #6,942
1997 modern 568 #8,469
1998 modern 607 #8,318
1999 modern 623 #8,224
2000 modern 620 #8,240
2001 modern 599 #8,310
2002 modern 623 #8,228
2003 modern 587 #8,461
2004 modern 584 #8,508
2005 modern 571 #8,571
2006 modern 575 #8,550
2007 modern 592 #8,442
2008 modern 596 #8,464
2009 modern 622 #8,359
2010 modern 622 #8,542
2011 modern 597 #8,723
2012 modern 620 #8,373
2013 modern 631 #8,407
2014 modern 629 #8,473
2015 modern 633 #8,366
2016 modern 637 #8,304

Geography

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Where Marrows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Wickhambrook, Toxteth Park, Wigan and Standish. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Rotherham and Calderdale. 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 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Wickhambrook Suffolk
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Standish Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Rotherham 002 Rotherham
3 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Calderdale 022 Calderdale
5 Calderdale 013 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marrow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marrow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marrow, 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 Marrow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Marrow 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Marrow 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

Marrow 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

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

Meaning and origin of Marrow

The surname Marrow is of English origin, believed to have emerged in the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "mara," meaning a marsh or a fen, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone residing near a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marrow can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166, where a person named Willelmus de Mara is mentioned. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence during the 12th century in northern England.

The Marrow surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Marrow in Gloucestershire and Marrow in Shropshire. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname across different regions.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a significant collection of administrative records, included an entry for a person named William Marwe. This alternative spelling, Marwe, exemplifies the variations that occurred in surnames during that time period.

Renowned historical figures bearing the Marrow surname include Sir John Marrow, a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another notable individual was William Marrow, a respected clergyman and author who published several religious works in the 17th century.

Other notable individuals with the Marrow surname include:

1. Thomas Marrow (1592-1649), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. 2. Elizabeth Marrow (1635-1703), a prominent Quaker minister and author from England, known for her writings on religious subjects. 3. James Marrow (1720-1799), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. 4. Henry Marrow (1781-1858), an English artist renowned for his landscape paintings, particularly depicting rural scenes in the Midlands. 5. Margaret Marrow (1844-1922), an American educator and women's rights advocate who played a pivotal role in establishing educational opportunities for women in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the Marrow surname has been associated with various occupations, from landowners and politicians to clergymen, artists, and educators, reflecting the diversity of individuals who have borne this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Marrow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marrow 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 205 Marrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.80x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 205 3.80x
Cheshire 55 5.48x
Yorkshire 52 1.15x
Durham 42 3.11x
Staffordshire 24 1.56x
Flintshire 16 13.09x
Suffolk 15 2.71x
Middlesex 13 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 8 6.55x
Shropshire 7 1.78x
Lanarkshire 4 0.27x
Anglesey 3 3.72x
Cumberland 3 0.77x
Devon 3 0.32x
Essex 3 0.33x
Kent 2 0.13x
Monmouthshire 2 0.61x
Northumberland 2 0.30x
Warwickshire 2 0.17x
Berkshire 1 0.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.14x
Renfrewshire 1 0.28x
Sussex 1 0.13x
Wigtownshire 1 1.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Standish With Langtree in Lancashire leads with 48 Marrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 722.89x.

Place Total Index
Standish With Langtree 48 722.89x
Sutton Stoneferry 25 193.95x
Wigan 20 26.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 11.68x
Toxteth Park 14 7.66x
Wickhambrook 13 625.00x
Liverpool 12 3.66x
Newton 9 21.65x
Newton In Ashton Under 9 90.91x
Northop Golftyn 9 629.37x
Occlestone 9 5625.00x
Cardross 8 54.53x
Gateshead 8 7.90x
Medomsley 8 126.78x
Newton In Makerfield 8 48.43x
Hindley 7 30.43x
Ince In Makerfield 7 27.89x
Northop 7 161.66x
Salford 7 4.41x
Tranmere 7 18.98x
Crowton 6 833.33x
Great Little Marsden 6 24.28x
Kearsley 6 52.86x
Northwich 6 375.00x
Shrewsbury St Mary 6 38.71x
Swinton In Rotherham 6 50.38x
West Derby 6 3.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 5.84x
Dalton In Furness 5 24.02x
Halsall 5 234.74x
Usworth 5 69.64x
Blackburn 4 2.79x
Castle Northwich 4 120.48x
Cockerton 4 92.17x
Hulme 4 3.55x
Leeds 4 1.57x
Normanton 4 29.54x
North Meols 4 7.58x
Plawsworth 4 272.11x
St Pancras London 4 1.09x
Stockton On Tees 4 6.14x
Barrow In Furness 3 4.09x
Darfield 3 73.17x
Darlington 3 5.75x
Great Wakering 3 149.25x
Haigh 3 159.57x
Hamilton 3 7.32x
Holyhead 3 19.97x
Liscard 3 16.59x
Ormskirk 3 29.07x
Seaton Wassand 3 454.55x
St Marylebone London 3 1.24x
Trentham 3 22.99x
Warrington 3 4.69x
Westoe 3 3.91x
Workington 3 13.39x
Bury 2 3.25x
Canterbury St Martin 2 606.06x
Holy Trinity 2 1.85x
Knutsford Nether 2 32.95x
Mile End Old Town 2 2.79x
Moulton 2 217.39x
Ormesby 2 16.52x
Orrell 2 29.81x
Pemberton 2 9.30x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.74x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 17.33x
Trevethin 2 6.45x
West Bromwich 2 2.28x
Westhoughton 2 13.90x
Winnington 2 180.18x
Abbey 1 1.86x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 6.76x
Cowlinge 1 94.34x
Didsbury 1 13.97x
Heap 1 3.50x
Kirkdale 1 1.10x
Newbottle 1 13.55x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 2.85x
Rye 1 13.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Elizabeth 28
Ellen 15
Margaret 13
Sarah 13
Ann 10
Annie 9
Alice 8
Jane 8
Emily 7
Martha 7
Bridget 5
Ada 3
Esther 3
Hannah 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Anna 1
Christina 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth.E. 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Fannie 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Helena 1
Jannet 1
Kenbank 1
Levina 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Louise 1
Louisia 1
Lucinda 1
Mabel 1
Winiford 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
Thomas 22
James 21
John 21
Peter 13
Henry 10
Joseph 7
Edward 6
George 5
Michael 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Fred 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Daniel 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Willie 2
Anthony 1
Arnold 1
Arther 1
Barnard 1
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
Darby 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Josiah 1
Matthew 1
Mich. 1
Patrick 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Rodger 1
Timothy 1
Wallis 1
Wilfred 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Marrow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marrow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 466 people were recorded with the Marrow surname. That placed it at #7,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marrow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 637 in 2016. That gives Marrow a modern rank of #8,304.

What does the Marrow surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a vegetable grower or seller, derived from the Old English word "maru."

What does the Marrow map show?

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