Explore the Family Name Marvell

The meaning of Marvell

English (of Norman origin): 1. nickname from Old French merveil ‘marvellous, wonderful’ or merveille ‘marvel, miracle’. 2. habitational name from either of two places in northern France called Merville (in Nord and Somme).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Marvell in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Marvell experienced a decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 83,618 but dropped to 103,181 in 2010, marking a 23.4% decline. The count of individuals with this surname also fell from 209 in 2000 to 174 in 2010, a drop of 16.75%. The proportion of people named Marvell per 100,000 decreased by 25%, going from 0.08 in 2000 to 0.06 in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#83,618	#103,181	-23.4%
Count	209	174	-16.75%
Proportion per 100k	0.08	0.06	-25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marvell

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of those with the surname Marvell identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, although there was a slight decrease of 0.89% over the decade. The percentage identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase, rising from 2.87% in 2000 to 4.60% in 2010, a change of 60.28%. Those who identified as Black made up 5.26% in 2000 and slightly less at 5.17% in 2010, showing a marginal decline of 1.71%. No individuals with the surname Marvell identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. There was also a decrease in the percentage identifying with two or more races, falling from 3.83% in 2000 to zero in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
White	87.56%	86.78%	-0.89%
Black	5.26%	5.17%	-1.71%
Hispanic	2.87%	4.6%	60.28%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	3.83%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%