Show ContentsMaro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Maro is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Maro family lived in Leicestershire. Their name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Marriot in Normandy. While many of the family settled in England, some stayed behind in Normandy as shown by Richard Mareta who was listed there (1180-1195.) 1

Early Origins of the Maro family

The surname Maro was first found in Somerset at Merriott, a parish, in the union of Chard, hundred of Crewkerne. 2 This parish was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Meriet 3 and possibly meant "boundary gate," from the Old English words "maere" + "geat." 4 Some of the first listings of the name include: Alric filius Meriet; and Aelric Meriete in 1066 and Aegel filius Mergeati c. 1086. Symon Meriet was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1202. 5 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John de Meriet in Lincolnshire; and Simon de Meriet in Somerset. 6

Early History of the Maro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maro research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1657, 1679, 1695, 1698, 1708 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Maro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maro Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Marriott, Mariott, Marriot, Marritt, Marrot, Marrotte, Mariatt, Maryet, Maryott, Marryatt, Mariate, Merritt, Merriott and many more.

Early Notables of the Maro family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Augustine Marriott of London; Christopher Merret (Merrett) FRS (1614-1695), an English physician and scientist, the first to document the deliberate addition of sugar for the production...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Maro family to Ireland

Some of the Maro family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Maro migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Maro or a variant listed above:

Maro Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Rowland Maro, who arrived in Maryland in 1646 7
Maro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Antonio DeLa Maro, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 7


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook