NameCensus.

UK surname

Marsay

In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Marsay surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 429, ranked #11,214, up from #19,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Skelton and Scarborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Redcar and Cleveland and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marsay is 457 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 329.0%.

1881 census count

100

Ranked #19,750

Modern count

429

2016, ranked #11,214

Peak year

2000

457 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marsay had 100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 429 in 2016, ranked #11,214.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 211 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Marsay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marsay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Marsay 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 100 #19,750
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 211 #14,467
1997 modern 430 #10,423
1998 modern 441 #10,560
1999 modern 444 #10,555
2000 modern 457 #10,300
2001 modern 431 #10,606
2002 modern 428 #10,880
2003 modern 413 #11,006
2004 modern 415 #10,989
2005 modern 418 #10,812
2006 modern 427 #10,683
2007 modern 415 #11,047
2008 modern 415 #11,145
2009 modern 429 #11,094
2010 modern 431 #11,285
2011 modern 439 #10,995
2012 modern 406 #11,606
2013 modern 407 #11,766
2014 modern 428 #11,371
2015 modern 438 #11,055
2016 modern 429 #11,214

Geography

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Where Marsays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Skelton, Scarborough, Middlesborough and Hinderwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Redcar and Cleveland and Hambleton. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Skelton Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Middlesborough Durham
5 Hinderwell Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
2 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Hambleton 001 Hambleton
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 Hambleton 002 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Marsay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Marsay

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marsay, 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 Marsay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Marsay 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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Marsay is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Marsay is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marsay falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Marsay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marsay 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 99 Marsays recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.24x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 99 10.24x
Durham 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitby in Yorkshire leads with 40 Marsays recorded in 1881 and an index of 1226.99x.

Place Total Index
Whitby 40 1226.99x
Moorsholme 16 12307.69x
Hinderwell 9 1084.34x
Stainton Dale 8 10000.00x
Danby 7 1794.87x
Middlesbrough 7 55.60x
Lofthouse 5 347.22x
Skelton In Guisbrough 2 76.63x
Goathland 1 588.24x
Lythe 1 263.16x
Nunthorpe 1 1666.67x
Ruswarp 1 92.59x
Stranton 1 10.24x
York Marygate St Olave 1 270.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Jane 6
Hannah 5
Ann 4
Harriet 4
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Isabella 2
Martha 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Fanny 1
Laura 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 6
Jonathan 5
Joseph 5
George 4
Thomas 4
Henry 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Robt. 2
Solomon 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Soloman 1
Tom 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 Marsay households.

FAQ

Marsay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marsay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Marsay surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marsay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 429 in 2016. That gives Marsay a modern rank of #11,214.

What does the Marsay map show?

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