Explore the Family Name Marr
The meaning of Marr
1. Scottish: habitational name from the district of Mar in Aberdeenshire, an ancient tribal name probably based on a Brittonic personal name Marsos. There may have been confusion with Mair 2. 2. English: habitational name from one or other of various places called from Old Norse marr ‘fen, marsh’, such as Marr, High and Low Marr in Wheldrake, and The Marrs in Swine (all Yorkshire). 3. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Marro. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 馬, see Ma 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marr in the United States?
The surname Marr has seen a shift in popularity within the U.S., according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Marr held a rank of 3177, with 10,365 individuals carrying the name. By 2010, the rank had lowered to 3341 and the count had increased to 10,724 signifying a 3.46% increase in people with the Marr surname. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people in the population, the presence of this surname saw a slight decrease of 5.21%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,177 | #3,341 | -5.16% |
| Count | 10,365 | 10,724 | 3.46% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.84 | 3.64 | -5.21% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marr
In terms of ethnic identity, the Marr surname saw some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 90.27% of those with the Marr surname identified as White, dropping to 88.34% by 2010. The Hispanic representation among those with the surname increased significantly from 1.70% to 2.82% over this decade. Identification as Black also saw an increase, rising from 3.95% to 4.26%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased slightly. There was also a notable rise in individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races, growing by 40.28%, while the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native identity saw a small decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.27% | 88.34% | -2.14% |
| Black | 3.95% | 4.26% | 7.85% |
| Hispanic | 1.7% | 2.82% | 65.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.44% | 2.02% | 40.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.95% | 1.91% | -2.05% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.64% | -7.25% |
Marr ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Marr is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.7%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Chinese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 25.7% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 18.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Marr
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Marr have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
What Marr haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Marr is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-A260, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Black, Evans, Matthews, Thomson, Thompson, Clarke, Newman, Collins, Ford, Price.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marr surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Marr have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Marr" Surname 47.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Marr" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marr" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Marr" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marr?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Marr are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition