March History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  France 


The name March came to England with the ancestors of the March family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The March family lived on the border between two territories, such as the Marches between England and Wales or on the English Scottish borders. The name may also have emerged as a nickname for someone born in the month of March.

Early Origins of the March family

The surname March was first found in Cambridgeshire at March, a market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area in the parish of Doddington, union and hundred of North Witchford. The town lies on the course of the Fen Causeway, a Roman road, and there is evidence of Roman settlements in the area. "Between this town and Wisbech, urns inclosing burnt bones, and a vessel containing 160 Roman denarii of different emperors, were discovered in the year 1730." 1 Listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Merche 2, it derives its name from the Old English word "mearc." 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Henry le March and William le March, both in Cambridgeshire; and Philip le march in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Johannes de la Marche; Ricardus del Marche; and Agnes del Marche. 4 William de la Marche was listed in Cheshire in 1295. 5

Early History of the March family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our March research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1334, 1336, 1338, 1380, 1410, 1413, 1430 and 1473 are included under the topic Early March History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

March Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled March, Marche and others.

Early Notables of the March family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

March Ranking

In the United States, the name March is the 2,938th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name March is ranked the 149th most popular surname with an estimated 260 people with that name. 7


March migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name March or a variant listed above:

March Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
March Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
March Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

March migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

March Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

March migration to Australia +

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

March Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

March migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

March Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name March (post 1700) +
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