Marquess History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The name Marquess comes from the ancient culture of France. It was a Norman name for a nobleman who ranked just below the level of an Earl and is derived from the Old French word "Marquis," which signified this lofty position.

Early Origins of the Marquess family

The surname Marquess was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), in Pas-de-Calais in the arrondissement of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they held a family seat since the very early times. They branched south in the 13th century when they held a family seat at Motte. By the 14th century they had moved to the Franche-Comté at Tallenay and were raised to the Seigniory. This family later branched to Brittany, Forez, Neufchatel and Morges. In Brittany and île-de-Saint-Dominique the spelling was Marques. Many of the settlers of that name who went to New France came from Normandy and Brittany (French: Bretagne).

Early History of the Marquess family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marquess research. More information is included under the topic Early Marquess History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marquess Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of French surnames; in part, as spelling, and the spelling names was not yet standardized during the early development of the written French language. Later, there was much branching and movement of families, and spellings would change according to region. Variations of the name Marquess include Marquis, Marques, Marquise, Marquy, Marqui, Marcquis, Marquess, Marquese and many more.

Early Notables of the Marquess family

More information is included under the topic Early Marquess Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marquess migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Marquess has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Marquess were

Marquess Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

P. Marquess, who settled in New Orleans in 1823

Contemporary Notables of the name Marquess (post 1700) +

John M. Marquess, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1932 1

Citations +

The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html