Marra History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

The distinguished surname Marra can be traced back to the ancient and beautiful region of Sicily, which is located off Southwestern Italy and incorporates the island of Sicily itself, the area of Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they were characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. The most common type of family name found in the region of Sicily is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. During the Middle Ages, Italians adopted the patronymic system of name-making because it perfectly complemented the prevailing Feudal System. In Italy the popularity of patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Marra was derived from the place named Morra De Sanctis, in the province of Avellino.

Early Origins of the Marra family

The surname Marra was first found in Naples, (Italian: Napoli, Latin: Neapolis.) One branch of the Morra family, who had owned land for centuries, received the honor of seeing one of its members, Gregorio VIII, elevated to the papal throne in 1187 by Alberto, monk and cardinal. Twelve years later, in 1198, Pietro Morra was made Cardinal. He was also famous for his compilation of decrees, or 'Epistole Decretali'.

Early History of the Marra family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marra research. The years 1520, 1546, 1598, 1605 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Marra History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marra Spelling Variations

Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms in comparison with other European surnames because they reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each of which has its distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the most standard Italian surname suffix is "I", whereas in Southern Italy the most typical surname suffix is "O". Sardinian is very different from other forms of Italian and in fact, it is considered to be its own distinct language. Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes, church officials, and the bearers of names, spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. As a consequence of the major changes in the Italian language and in the local spellings of Italian surnames that occurred over the course of history, there are numerous variations for the surname Marra. These spelling variations include Morra, di Morra, Mora, Di Mora and others.

Early Notables of the Marra family

Prominent among bearers of this surname in early times was Dionisio Morra who was a Cardinal, and Lucio Morra who was the Chaplain of King Philip III of Spain and was made Archbishop of Otratanto. Isabella di Morra (ca. 1520-1546) was an Italian poet of the Renaissance; she was forced by her brothers to live in isolation, which estranged her from courts...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marra Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marra Ranking

In the United States, the name Marra is the 4,928^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Marra migration to the United States +

A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Marra:

Marra Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fline Marra, aged 26, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1847 2
Alessando Marra, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896

Marra Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alessandro Marra, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States from Volturara Tyimo, Italy, in 1904
Alessandro Marra, aged 17, who landed in America from Caserta, Castelmonone, Italy, in 1907
Alfonsana Marra, aged 17, who settled in America from Candidi, Italy, in 1911
Afuete Marra, aged 62, who landed in America from Alafuano, Italy, in 1911
Alfonso Marra, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States from Cattolica E., Sicily, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Marra migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Marra Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Johanna Marra, aged 25, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Grand Trianon"
Patrick Marra, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nimroud"

Contemporary Notables of the name Marra (post 1700) +

Anthony Marra, American fiction writer
Grace Marra, American musician
Joe Marra (b. 1987), American professional lacrosse player
William A. Marra (1928-1998), third-party Right to life candidate for President of the United States
Kenneth A. Marra (b. 1951), American lawyer and judge
Ralph J. Marra Jr. (b. 1953), American lawyer
Ralph J. Marra Jr. (b. 1953), American politician, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, 2008-09 3
Patrick A. Marra, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Britain, 1946 3
James C. Marra, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Vermont, 1956 3
Daniel E. Marra, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bozrah, 1916 3
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html