Explore the Family Name Marshall
The meaning of Marshall
1. English: usually an occupational name ‘farrier’, occasionally a status name ‘chief official of a royal household or court; a high officer of state’, from Middle English mareshal and Old French maresc(h)al. An even wider range of meanings is found in some other languages: compare for example Polish Marszałek (see Marszalek). This name has been established in Ireland since the 13th century. It is also borne by Jews, presumably as an Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames. 2. Americanized form of German Marschall. 3. Americanized form of French Mercier. History: As the fourth chief justice of the US, John Marshall (1755–1835) was the principal architect in consolidating and defining the powers of the Supreme Court. He was a descendant of John Marshall, who came from Ireland and settled in Culpeper County, VA, sometime before 1655.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marshall in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Marshall has seen changes in its popularity over the years. In 2000, it ranked 125th and by 2010 it had fallen to the 139th position, indicating a decrease of 11.2 percent. However, the count of individuals with the Marshall surname increased from 177,213 in 2000 to 183,922 in 2010, marking an increase of 3.79 percent. Despite this growth, the proportion per 100,000 people dropped by 5.08 percent, from 65.69 in 2000 to 62.35 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #125 | #139 | -11.2% |
| Count | 177,213 | 183,922 | 3.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 65.69 | 62.35 | -5.08% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marshall
The ethnicity associated with the Marshall surname also exhibited shifts as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and with two or more races increased by 38.10 percent and 28.57 percent respectively. The number of Marshalls identifying as Hispanic surged by 57.32 percent. However, those identifying as White saw a decline of 4.15 percent. Meanwhile, the Black community using the surname rose by 4.40 percent, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also experienced a growth of 9.09 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.89% | 66.03% | -4.15% |
| Black | 26.35% | 27.51% | 4.4% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.58% | 57.32% |
| Two or More Races | 1.82% | 2.34% | 28.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.88% | 0.96% | 9.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.58% | 38.1% |
Marshall 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 Marshall is British & Irish, which comprises 51.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.4% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 23.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Marshall
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 Marshall have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.90% |
What Marshall 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 Marshall is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-FGC11293, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Brown, White, Green, Young, Turner, Hill, Miller, Taylor, Johnson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marshall 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 Marshall 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.
"Marshall" Surname 38.8%
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.
"Marshall" Surname 28.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marshall" 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.
"Marshall" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marshall?
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 Marshall are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition