Show ContentsMarren History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Marren arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Marren 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 Marren family

The surname Marren 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 Marren family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marren 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 Marren History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marren Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. 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 Marren 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 Marren Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Marren family to Ireland

Some of the Marren 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 Marren migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Marren or a variant listed above were:

Marren Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • David Marren, who landed in Virginia in 1663 7
  • James Marren, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 7
Marren Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Marren, who arrived in America in 1811 7
  • Patrick Marren, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Marren (post 1700) +

  • Robert P. Marren (1918-1990), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 48th District, 1954; Member of city council, Auburn, New York, 1957-63 8
  • Patrick A. Marren, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Derby, 1917-18 8


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


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