2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Marras
A surname of Italian origin meaning "marsh" or "swampland."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Marras. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marras 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Marras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marras, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Black (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marras
The surname Marras is of Italian origin, with roots tracing back to the 14th century in the regions of Sardinia and Sicily. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "marra," which referred to a type of hoe or mattock used for agricultural purposes.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Marra" or "Marras," reflecting the linguistic variations of the time. The first recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Sardinian and Sicilian documents, where it was associated with farming communities and landowners.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Marras surname was Giovanni Marras, a prominent landowner from the town of Oristano in Sardinia, who lived in the late 14th century. Records indicate that he played a significant role in local affairs and held influence within the community.
During the 16th century, the name gained recognition beyond its regional origins. In 1542, a document from the city of Naples mentioned a certain Antonio Marras, a merchant who traded in agricultural goods and was involved in the city's thriving market economy.
As the centuries passed, the Marras name continued to spread across Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, a notable figure named Domenico Marras (1709-1788) emerged as a renowned architect and engineer from Sardinia. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings that still stand today.
Another prominent individual was Giovanni Battista Marras (1823-1888), a Sicilian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the latter half of the 19th century. He was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and social reforms.
In the 20th century, the Marras name gained international recognition through the work of Antonio Marras, a celebrated Italian fashion designer born in 1959. His innovative designs and unique aesthetic have earned him critical acclaim and a prominent place in the world of haute couture.
While the Marras surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by Italian emigrants and their descendants. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the agricultural and cultural traditions of Sardinia and Sicily.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marras
Among Census respondents with the surname Marras, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Black (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Marras 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 Marras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.3% · 74
- Two or more races12.4% · 12
- Black or African American4.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marras
Marras 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,288 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-7 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 15,288 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 405 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 Marras 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 | #156,044 | #156,449 | -0.3% |
| Count | 104 | 97 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marras bearers went from 104 to 97 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 405 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,449.
FAQ
Marras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marras?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Marras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Marras?
Marras ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Marras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Marras.
Has Marras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marras went from 104 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Marras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marras, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Black (4.1%). 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 Marras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.3% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.3%), Two or More Races (12.4%), Black (4.1%). 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 Marras (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 Marras mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "marsh" or "swampland." 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 Marras (0.03 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 Marras?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.