2000
#3,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.84
Uncommon Last name
Marr
A Scottish and northern English topographic surname for someone who lived near a lake, marsh, or boundary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,630 Americans carry the last name Marr. That puts it at #3,441 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,472 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marr 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 Marr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,472
Census rank
#3,441
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,142 bearers of the surname Marr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3441st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marr, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marr
The surname Marr originated in Scotland in the medieval period, derived from the Gaelic word 'màrr' meaning 'prosperous' or 'wealthy'. It is believed to have been initially a descriptive name given to someone who had achieved prosperity or success.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls made during the reign of King Edward I of England. The name 'Marr' is listed among the Scottish landowners and nobles who were required to swear fealty to the English king.
In the 14th century, the Marr surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire in northeast Scotland. The name is also associated with the historic district of Marr, an area known for its fertile lands and agricultural wealth.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the Marr surname. This suggests that the name likely emerged later, in the medieval period, specifically in Scotland.
One notable figure bearing the Marr surname was John Marr (c. 1589-1673), a Scottish clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1660 to 1673. He played a significant role in the university's development during the turbulent years of the Scottish Reformation.
Another prominent individual was Sir John Marr (1772-1835), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and later became a Vice-Admiral in the service.
In the 19th century, Alexander Marr (1828-1904), a Scottish-born Australian politician, made his mark as a member of the Parliament of South Australia and served as the Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1893 to 1897.
The Marr surname has also been associated with notable figures in the arts, such as Carl Marr (1858-1936), a German-American painter and illustrator known for his depictions of Native American life and western landscapes.
Lastly, Edwin Marr (1919-2003), an English football player and manager, had a successful career as a goalkeeper for clubs like Liverpool and Everton in the 1940s and 1950s, before transitioning into coaching roles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marr
Among Census respondents with the surname Marr, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Marr 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 Marr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 8,593
- Black or African American4.5% · 459
- Two or more races4.2% · 425
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 414
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 190
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marr
Marr 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
#3,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,724
+359 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 3.64
Rank movement Down 164 places
2020
#3,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,142
-582 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 3.39
Rank movement Down 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,177 | 10,365 | 3.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,341 | 10,724 | 3.64 | +359 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 164 places |
| 2020 | #3,441 | 10,142 | 3.39 | -582 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 100 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 Marr 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 | #3,341 | #3,441 | -3.0% |
| Count | 10,724 | 10,142 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.64 | 3.39 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marr bearers went from 10,724 to 10,142 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,341 to #3,441.
FAQ
Marr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marr?
Name Census estimates that about 11,630 living Americans carry the surname Marr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,472 residents.
How common is Marr?
Marr ranks #3,441 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,142 people with the surname Marr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,630), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Marr.
Has Marr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marr went from 10,724 recorded bearers to 10,142. That is a decrease of 582 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,341 to #3,441.
What does the Census say about the background of Marr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marr, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Marr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (8,593 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (4.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Marr (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 Marr mean?
A Scottish and northern English topographic surname for someone who lived near a lake, marsh, or boundary. 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 Marr (3.39 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 share the surname Marr?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.