NameCensus.

UK surname

Marwick

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "big bay" or "big harbor".

In the 1881 census there were 361 people recorded with the Marwick surname, ranking it #8,579 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 458, ranked #10,679, down from #8,579 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rousay and Egilsay, Kirkwall and St.Ola and Evie and Rendall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Mainland, West Kirkwall and East Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Marwick is 458 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.9%.

1881 census count

361

Ranked #8,579

Modern count

458

2016, ranked #10,679

Peak year

2016

458 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Marwick had 361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,579 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 458 in 2016, ranked #10,679.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 407 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Marwick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Marwick surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Marwick 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 257 #8,596
1861 historical 306 #8,296
1881 historical 361 #8,579
1891 historical 407 #8,750
1901 historical 363 #10,145
1911 historical 106 #21,948
1997 modern 410 #10,800
1998 modern 434 #10,694
1999 modern 435 #10,754
2000 modern 457 #10,300
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 407 #11,294
2003 modern 392 #11,425
2004 modern 392 #11,453
2005 modern 406 #11,061
2006 modern 403 #11,187
2007 modern 411 #11,144
2008 modern 424 #10,952
2009 modern 431 #11,070
2010 modern 446 #10,988
2011 modern 441 #10,958
2012 modern 428 #11,092
2013 modern 439 #11,052
2014 modern 440 #11,107
2015 modern 446 #10,898
2016 modern 458 #10,679

Geography

Back to top

Where Marwicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rousay and Egilsay, Kirkwall and St.Ola, Evie and Rendall, Edinburgh and Stromness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Mainland, West Kirkwall, East Kirkwall, East Mainland and Isles. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rousay and Egilsay Orkney
2 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
3 Evie and Rendall Orkney
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Stromness Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Mainland Orkney Islands
2 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
3 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 East Mainland Orkney Islands
5 Isles Orkney Islands

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Marwick

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Marwick

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Marwick, 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 Marwick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Marwick 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Marwick 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

Marwick is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Marwick 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Marwick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Marwick

The surname Marwick originates from Scotland, specifically the Orkney Islands in the far north. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "merki" meaning boundary or march, and "vik" meaning bay or inlet. This suggests the name may have referred to someone living near a boundary or border bay.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Orkneyinga Saga, an ancient Norse narrative that chronicles the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands. The saga mentions a "Margad Myrkrivik" in the 12th century, which is likely an early spelling variation of Marwick.

Another early reference is found in the Rental Book of the Lordship of Orkney from 1498, which lists a "John Marwick" as a landholder on the island of Westray. This record provides evidence that the name had become established in the region by the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named James Marwick (1609-1676) served as the Bishop of Orkney from 1641 to 1676. He played a significant role in maintaining the Episcopal Church in Scotland during a period of religious turmoil.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir James David Marwick (1835-1908), a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian. He served as the Town Clerk of Glasgow from 1873 to 1903 and was a renowned authority on Scottish history and legal matters.

Another individual of note was William Marwick (1840-1923), a Scottish historian and editor. He was the author of several works on Scottish history, including "The River Clyde and the Clyde Burghs" and "The Renfrewshire Families."

Over the centuries, the Marwick surname has maintained a strong presence in the Orkney Islands, as well as other parts of Scotland and the United Kingdom. While not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history and cultural significance deeply rooted in the region's Norse heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Marwick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Marwick 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. Orkney leads with 245 Marwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 630.63x.

County Total Index
Orkney 245 630.63x
Midlothian 30 6.34x
Sussex 15 2.52x
Northumberland 14 2.66x
Durham 12 1.14x
Middlesex 11 0.31x
Kent 10 0.83x
Dunbartonshire 8 8.43x
Lancashire 5 0.12x
Fife 4 1.91x
Yorkshire 4 0.11x
Angus 2 0.61x
Cumberland 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 2.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rousay Egilshay in Orkney leads with 119 Marwicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 8750.00x.

Place Total Index
Rousay Egilshay 119 8750.00x
Evie Rendall 40 2439.02x
Kirkwall St Ola 39 670.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 12.09x
Stromness 12 412.37x
Sandwick 11 753.42x
Westoe 11 18.47x
New Kilpatrick 8 88.59x
Brighton 7 5.83x
Buxted 7 300.43x
Shadoxhurst 7 3043.48x
Chirton 5 42.05x
Holm 5 384.62x
Stronsay Eday 5 196.85x
Toxteth Park 5 3.52x
Westminster St James 5 13.77x
Abbotshall 4 51.22x
Tynemouth 4 14.21x
Birsay Harray 3 106.38x
Corbridge 3 156.25x
Edinburgh St Stephens 3 32.22x
Hoy Graemsay 3 410.96x
Islington London 3 0.88x
Orphir 3 243.90x
Bromley London 2 2.57x
Cobham 2 180.18x
Edinburgh St Marys 2 21.74x
Firth Stenness 2 119.76x
Kirk Smeaton 2 434.78x
Montrose 2 10.09x
Sandhoe 2 769.23x
St Andrews Deerness 2 98.04x
Swinefleet 2 132.45x
Crosthwaite 1 270.27x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 25.58x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 10.18x
Penshurst 1 49.26x
Shapinshay 1 84.75x
St Marylebone London 1 0.53x
Stockton On Tees 1 1.97x
West Tarring 1 112.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 5
William 5
Henry 4
John 4
Thomas 3
George 2
Richard 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Chas.E.S. 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
Joseph 1
Percy 1
Robert 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 Marwick households.

FAQ

Marwick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Marwick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 361 people were recorded with the Marwick surname. That placed it at #8,579 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Marwick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 458 in 2016. That gives Marwick a modern rank of #10,679.

What does the Marwick surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "big bay" or "big harbor".

What does the Marwick map show?

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