UK surname

Marsella

A surname suggesting origins in the French city of Marseille.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rugby, East Dorset and Wishaw North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marsella is 108 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

Modern count

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

2011

108 bearers

Map years

2006 to 2006

Key insights

• The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 27 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Map

Marsella surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marsella surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Marsella 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	2	#33,133
1861	historical	1	#34,435
1891	historical	1	#34,674
1901	historical	18	#32,032
1911	historical	27	#30,437
1997	modern	89	#28,490
1998	modern	97	#28,054
1999	modern	99	#27,906
2000	modern	100	#27,695
2001	modern	99	#27,534
2002	modern	104	#27,303
2003	modern	101	#27,561
2004	modern	105	#27,181
2005	modern	101	#27,854
2006	modern	106	#27,332
2007	modern	102	#28,351
2008	modern	105	#28,180
2009	modern	97	#30,076
2010	modern	101	#30,078
2011	modern	108	#28,811
2012	modern	98	#30,612
2013	modern	98	#31,078
2014	modern	99	#31,186
2015	modern	98	#31,342
2016	modern	96	#31,684

Geography

Where Marsellas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rugby, East Dorset, Wishaw North and Epsom and Ewell. 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	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Rugby 007	Rugby
2	East Dorset 004	East Dorset
3	Wishaw North	North Lanarkshire
4	Epsom and Ewell 007	Epsom and Ewell
5	Rugby 010	Rugby

Forenames

First names often paired with Marsella

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Arlene Penelope Ruth Lucia Maria Norma Silvia Linda Barbara Joanne

Recent male names

Anthony Christopher Mark Paul Peter Massimo Richard Alistair Giovanni Antonio

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Marsella

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Marsella surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Marsella 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 are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Marsella is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Marsella 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marsella falls in decile 10 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marsella is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - Other

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Marsella

The surname Marsella is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Campania in southern Italy. The name is derived from the port city of Marsella, which is the Italian name for the city of Marseille in France. The city's name itself is believed to come from the Greek phrase "mas sellion," meaning "salt marsh" or "near the sea."

The earliest recorded instances of the Marsella surname can be traced back to the 14th century in historical documents from the Naples region. One notable bearer of the name was Guglielmo Marsella, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, in the mid-1300s.

In the 15th century, the Marsella family became prominent in the coastal town of Amalfi, which was part of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi. Records from this period show several members of the Marsella clan serving as naval officers and ship captains, reflecting the city's seafaring traditions.

The name also appears in several historical manuscripts and documents from the Renaissance period. For instance, Giovanni Marsella was a renowned painter from Naples who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works can still be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

As the centuries passed, the Marsella surname spread beyond its origins in Campania to other parts of Italy and the Mediterranean region. One notable figure was Vincenzo Marsella, a Sicilian philosopher and theologian who lived from 1633 to 1703. He was a respected scholar and author of several works on Catholic theology and ethics.

In the 19th century, a branch of the Marsella family settled in the city of Genoa in northern Italy. Emilio Marsella, born in 1845, was a prominent lawyer and politician in Genoa who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the late 1800s.

While the Marsella surname has its roots in Italy, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and the Americas over the centuries, likely through migration and intermarriage. Some notable bearers of the name include Antonio Marsella, a Spanish painter from Malaga who lived in the late 18th century, and Alejandro Marsella, a Chilean writer and academic born in 1942.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Marsella surname: questions and answers

How common is the Marsella surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Marsella a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Marsella surname mean?