2000
#4,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,584
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.44
Rare Last name
Marler
An English occupational surname referring to someone who digs or works with marl, a type of fertile soil.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,039 Americans carry the last name Marler. That puts it at #5,475 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,694 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marler surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 48,694
Census rank
#5,475
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,138 bearers of the surname Marler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5475th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marler
The surname Marler originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "mær" meaning "boundary" or "frontier." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a boundary or border region. Variants of the spelling include Marlar, Marlor, and Merler.
One of the earliest known records of the name Marler appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a John le Marler in Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the name is found in various counties across southern England, including entries such as William Marler in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 and John Marler in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.
A notable early bearer of the name was Thomas Marler, a renowned archer who fought alongside Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. He was praised for his skill and bravery during the conflict.
In the 16th century, the Marler surname is linked to several places in England, including Marler's Green in Buckinghamshire and Marler's Hill in Hertfordshire. These toponymic connections suggest that the name may have originated from specific locations associated with boundaries or borders.
During the 17th century, Robert Marler (1598-1673) was a prominent English Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Saviour's Church in Southwark, London. He was known for his controversial religious views and his opposition to the Church of England's hierarchy.
Another significant figure was Sir Robert Marler (1650-1709), a wealthy merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1689. He played a crucial role in supporting the Glorious Revolution that brought William III and Mary II to the English throne.
In the 18th century, the Marler name is found in various parts of Britain, with notable individuals such as William Marler (1717-1789), a successful businessman and landowner in Berkshire, and John Marler (1738-1812), a respected lawyer and magistrate in Gloucestershire.
Throughout the 19th century, the Marler surname continued to be represented across England, with individuals such as James Marler (1810-1881), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist in Birmingham, and Arthur Marler (1853-1919), a celebrated artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marler
Among Census respondents with the surname Marler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Marler bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 5,504
- Two or more races4.4% · 273
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 212
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 39
- Black or African American0.6% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marler
Marler appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,058
+474 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 2.39
Rank movement Down 74 places
2020
#5,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,138
-920 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 500 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,901 | 6,584 | 2.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,975 | 7,058 | 2.39 | +474 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 74 places |
| 2020 | #5,475 | 6,138 | 2.05 | -920 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 500 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marler surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,975 | #5,475 | -10.1% |
| Count | 7,058 | 6,138 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.39 | 2.05 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marler bearers went from 7,058 to 6,138 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 500 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,975 to #5,475.
FAQ
Marler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marler?
Name Census estimates that about 7,039 living Americans carry the surname Marler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,694 residents.
How common is Marler?
Marler ranks #5,475 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,138 people with the surname Marler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,039), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Marler.
Has Marler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marler went from 7,058 recorded bearers to 6,138. That is a decrease of 920 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,975 to #5,475.
What does the Census say about the background of Marler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marler, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (5,504 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marler (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marler mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who digs or works with marl, a type of fertile soil. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marler (2.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Marler?
You can see how common the surname Marler is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.