2000
#11,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,488
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Marquette
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a boundary marker or borderland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,718 Americans carry the last name Marquette. That puts it at #12,492 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,105 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marquette 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,105
Census rank
#12,492
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,370 bearers of the surname Marquette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12492nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marquette
The surname MARQUETTE originated in France during the medieval period, derived from the French word "marque," meaning "boundary" or "frontier." It was likely given to individuals who lived near a border region or worked as border guards or frontier officials.
The name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of northern France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Marquette, Marquette, and Marquette, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.
One of the earliest documented references to the MARQUETTE surname can be found in the Trésor des Chartes, a collection of charters and documents from the French royal archives, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that individuals bearing this name held positions of importance or had notable landholdings during that time.
Jacques MARQUETTE, a French Jesuit missionary and explorer, is perhaps the most renowned individual with this surname. Born in 1637 in Laon, France, he is famous for his exploration of the Mississippi River and the establishment of the first European settlement in Michigan, known as Sault Ste. Marie. He died in 1675 during his travels.
Another noteworthy figure was François MARQUETTE, a French nobleman and military officer who served in the Hundred Years' War during the 15th century. He was granted land and titles for his service to the French crown.
In the 18th century, Marie-Françoise MARQUETTE, a French playwright and author, gained recognition for her works, including plays and novels that shed light on the social and political issues of her time.
The MARQUETTE surname also has connections to certain place names in France, such as Marquette-lez-Lille and Marquette-en-Ostrevant, which may have derived from the name or vice versa.
Over time, the MARQUETTE surname spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through French colonization and immigration. While the name retains its French origins, it has become more widespread and integrated into various cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marquette
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Marquette 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 Marquette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 2,142
- Two or more races3.5% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 29
- Black or African American0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marquette
Marquette 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
#11,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,652
+164 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 224 places
2020
#12,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,370
-282 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 688 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,580 | 2,488 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,804 | 2,652 | 0.90 | +164 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 224 places |
| 2020 | #12,492 | 2,370 | 0.79 | -282 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 688 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 Marquette 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 | #11,804 | #12,492 | -5.8% |
| Count | 2,652 | 2,370 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.79 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marquette bearers went from 2,652 to 2,370 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 688 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,804 to #12,492.
FAQ
Marquette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marquette?
Name Census estimates that about 2,718 living Americans carry the surname Marquette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,105 residents.
How common is Marquette?
Marquette ranks #12,492 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,370 people with the surname Marquette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,718), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Marquette.
Has Marquette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marquette went from 2,652 recorded bearers to 2,370. That is a decrease of 282 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,804 to #12,492.
What does the Census say about the background of Marquette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquette, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Marquette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,142 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marquette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Marquette (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 Marquette mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a boundary marker or borderland. 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 Marquette (0.79 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 surname Marquette?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.