Show ContentsMarch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prestigious surname March originated in the enchanting region of Lorraine, in France and is derived from the Old French word "marché," meaning "market." Presumably, the first to bear this surname would have lived or worked in such a place. As such, March is classed as a topographic surname, a form of hereditary surname created from a the word for a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Early Origins of the March family

The surname March was first found in Lorraine, where this notable family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Some of the family emigrated to England shortly after the Conquest. "Nicholas de la March, then entered in 1316 as Lord of Nunney-de-la-Mare in Somersetshire, can have been no other than Nicholas de la Mare. Similar confusion may exist in other entries where it may more easily escape detection, and I therefore only quote the following with due reserve. Bartholomew de la March occurs in the Rotidi Cnrice Regis of 1194-98: and in the time of Edward I., Alice de la March was of Berkshire, Ralph le March, and his son Engelard, of Shropshire, and Henry, Thomas, and William le March, all three of Kent." 1

Early History of the March family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our March research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1279, 1384, 1391, 1424, 1430, 1447, 1501, 1676 and 1738 are included under the topic Early March History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

March Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Marche, Marches, La Marche, Lamarche, Lamarches, de Marche, Demarche, Demarches, des Marche, Desmarche, Desmarches, Le Marche, Lemarche, Lemarches, March, Marchat, Marché and many more.

Early Notables of the March family

Notable in the family name was

  • Olivier Marche, horseman, Knight, Captain

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. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name March is ranked the 149th most popular surname with an estimated 260 people with that name. 3


United States March migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

March Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Samuel March, who settled in Virginia in 1623 arriving on the ship "William & Thomas"
  • Mrs. Collice March, who landed in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Anne" wife of Samuel. 4
  • Eliabeth March, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 4
  • John March, who settled in Charles Town Massachusetts in 1630
  • Hugh March, aged 20, who arrived aboard the ship "Confidence" in 1638 in New England and Boston stated, found in Newbury. 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
March Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean March, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1700 4
  • Richard March, who landed in Virginia in 1701 4
  • Elizabeth March, who landed in New England in 1712 4
  • Jerick Hendrick March, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 4
  • Jurigh Heinrich March, aged 20, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
March Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles March, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 4
  • Charles March, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1815 4
  • Anthony March, aged 19, who arrived in America in 1821 4
  • Anthony March, aged 19, settled in Waldoboro, Massachusetts, in 1821
  • John March, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada March migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

March Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Nathan March, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Robert March, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Australia 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
  • Mr. John March, British Convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Mr. Richard March, (b. 1775), aged 53, English ploughman who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1848 6
  • Mr. John March who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Circassian" on 4th November 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Miss Mary March, English convict who was convicted in Warwickshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 14th July 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. George March, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand 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
  • Mr. James March, (b. 1835), aged 20, British shepherd travelling from London aboard the ship "Grasmere" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th May 1855 10
  • Samuel March, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Emma March, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Eliza March, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • Esther March, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name March (post 1700) +

  • Stephanie Caroline March (b. 1974), American actress, best known for her role as Alexandra Cabot on the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  • Kevin March, American drummer, record producer, and songwriter
  • Kevin P. March, American business executive, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President of Texas Instruments
  • Brigadier-General Francis Andrew March (1895-1967), American Professor of Military Science & Tactics, Ohio State University (1946-1947) 11
  • Peyton C March Jr. (1896-1918), American Army pilot, son of Peyton C. March
  • Major General Peyton C March (1864-1955), American Army Chief of Staff, son of Francis Andrew March 12
  • Fredric March (1897-1975), born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel, two-time American Academy Award and Tony award winning stage and screen actor, the only actor to win both the Academy Award and the Tony Award twice
  • Francis Andrew March (1825-1911), American polymath, academic, philologist, and lexicographer
  • James G March, American professor at several universities, including at Stanford from 1970-1995
  • Joseph Moncure March (1899-1977), American poet
  • ... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. John Starr March (d. 1912), aged 50, American Postal Clerk from Newark, New Jersey who worked aboard the RMS Titanic, died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 13


  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  7. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 8th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/circassian
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fanny
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) Francis March. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/March/Francis_Andrew/USA.html
  12. Peyton March. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Peyton March. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_C._March
  13. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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