2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Marquise
A French surname originally denoting the rank of marquis or marquise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Marquise. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marquise 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Marquise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquise, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marquise
The surname MARQUISE has its origins in France, with records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the French word "marquis," which was a title of nobility referring to a lord or ruler of a specific territory or marquisate.
In the early 12th century, the term "marquis" emerged as a rank within the French feudal system, referring to a nobleman who governed a frontier or border territory known as a march or mark. These marches were strategically important regions along the borders of the kingdom, and the marquis was responsible for their defense and administration.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MARQUISE can be found in the Cartulaire de Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a nobleman named Raoul Marquise, who held lands in the region of Orléans.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname MARQUISE became more widespread, particularly in the northern regions of France. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged during this period, including Jean Marquise (1368-1432), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Arras.
As the surname spread across France, it also gave rise to various place names and toponyms. One such example is the village of Marquise, located in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, which likely derived its name from a local noble family or landowner bearing the MARQUISE surname.
In the 16th century, the MARQUISE surname gained further prominence with the rise of the influential Marquise family of Normandy. This family produced several notable figures, including Guillaume Marquise (1520-1589), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Normandy parliament.
Another prominent individual bearing the MARQUISE surname was Marie Mancini (1639-1715), better known as the Marquise de Brinvilliers. She was a French aristocrat and infamous serial killer who poisoned numerous family members for their inheritance, earning her the nickname "The Marquise of the Poisons."
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the MARQUISE surname continued to be associated with nobility and landed gentry in various regions of France. Several notable individuals from this period include Jacques Marquise (1670-1738), a French poet and playwright, and Antoine Marquise (1722-1799), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris and other cities.
Throughout its history, the surname MARQUISE has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the varied social and economic status associated with this name across different regions and time periods in France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marquise
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquise, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Marquise 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 Marquise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 76
- Black or African American15.9% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marquise
Marquise appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Marquise 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marquise bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Marquise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marquise?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Marquise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Marquise?
Marquise ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Marquise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Marquise.
Has Marquise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marquise went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Marquise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marquise, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Marquise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marquise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (15.9%), Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Marquise (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 Marquise mean?
A French surname originally denoting the rank of marquis or marquise. 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 Marquise (0.04 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 Marquise?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Marquise on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.