2000
#79,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Marrell
A variant spelling of the surname Merrell, derived from a medieval place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Marrell. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marrell 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 Marrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Marrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marrell
The surname Marrell has its origins in medieval England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "marel," meaning a small pool or marsh, suggesting that the name was initially a topographic surname given to someone who lived near a marshy area.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where it appears as "Marrel." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and the preferences of scribes.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records from different regions of England, such as the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk (1273) and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire (1275), suggesting that the name had spread across the country.
An intriguing historical figure bearing the Marrell surname was Richard Marrell, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 14th century. Records show that he served as the Sheriff of London in 1375 and played a significant role in the city's governance and trade.
Another notable individual was John Marrell, a wealthy landowner from Oxfordshire who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in the Court Rolls of Watlington Manor, where he is recorded as owning substantial estates in the region.
In the 16th century, the surname Marrell appears to have been particularly prevalent in the county of Somerset. One notable example is Thomas Marrell, a yeoman farmer who lived in the village of Batcombe during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603).
The Marrell family also had connections to the town of Taunton in Somerset, as evidenced by the record of William Marrell, a prominent merchant and burgess of the town in the early 17th century.
Interestingly, the surname Marrell has been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the hamlet of Marrell in Somerset is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting that it was once a settlement owned or inhabited by members of the Marrell family.
While the Marrell surname may have its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and exploration. However, its rich history and origins remain firmly rooted in the marshy landscapes of medieval England, where the name first emerged as a topographic identifier for those who lived near these distinctive natural features.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Marrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Marrell 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 Marrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.1% · 71
- Black or African American21.1% · 23
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marrell
Marrell 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
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
-57 bearers (-25.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 28,241 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-55 bearers (-33.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 42,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #79,958 | 221 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | -57 bearers (-25.8%) | Down 28,241 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -55 bearers (-33.5%) | Down 42,006 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 Marrell 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 | #108,199 | #150,205 | -38.8% |
| Count | 164 | 109 | -33.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.04 | -39.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marrell bearers went from 164 to 109 (-33.5% change). The surname moved down 42,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #150,205.
FAQ
Marrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marrell?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Marrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Marrell?
Marrell ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Marrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Marrell.
Has Marrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marrell went from 164 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 55 (-33.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #108,199 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Marrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.1%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Marrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.1% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.1%), Black (21.1%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Marrell (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 Marrell mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Merrell, derived from a medieval place name. 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 Marrell (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 are called Marrell?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Marrell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.