MARCH
The surname March is of both English and Scottish origin and is found throughout the British Isles, with a concentration in England and Scotland.
It is generally understood that March is derived from the Old English word mearc and the Old Scottish word march, both of which mean a border or boundary. In this sense it would have been a topographic name given to a person who lived near a significant boundary, such as the traditional Marches that once separated England from Wales. An alternative derivation treats the name as a variant of Marsh, a surname that originally referred to someone dwelling near a marsh or swampy area.
The earliest recorded form of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Maerche. The entry is thought to be the locative case of the pre‑7th‑century Old English mearc and indicates that the name was originally a locative or topographic identifier for a dweller by a boundary, possibly near the town of March in Cambridgeshire.
The name is first repeatedly recorded in the latter half of the thirteenth century. A prominent early bearer is Henry le March, who features in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Some scholars note that the name could either record a reference to being baptised in the month of March or to a feudal obligation that fell due in that month.
Further documentary evidence shows a spelling variant, Henry de la Marche, preserved in the Records of Barnwell, Cambridgeshire, dated 1295, which falls during the reign of King Edward I and the broader period known as the Hammer of the Scots (1272‑1307).
In Scotland the surname appears in later records, for example John March of Sware is recorded in the Commissary Record of Lanarkshire in 1624.
Overall, the surname March is historically associated with geographic boundaries and the people who lived in proximity to them, reflecting the topographic and locative traditions of medieval English and Scottish naming practices. It retains a clear connection to the notion of a frontier or demarcation line within the historical landscape of the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the March surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
Female
- Barbara
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Lesley
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Marche
- Marcha
- Marach
- Marcher
- Marchal
- Marchan
- Marc
- Marchak
- Marchel
- Marches
- Marchais
- Marache
- Marca
- Marchi
- Marcho
- Marchio
- Marchis
- Marchl
- Marchus
- Marco
- Marcu
- Marecheau
- Marich
- Marsh
- Martch
- Mash
- Mauch
- Merch
- Merchie
- Mirch
- Morch
- Morchi
- Murch
- Murche
- Murchey
- Murchie
- Murchy
- Maracha
- Marachi
- Marcham
- Marchat
- Marchet
- Marchev
- Marchin
- Marchois
- Marchon
- Marchuk
- Marchut
- Marcou
- Marcow
- Margach
- Marrache
- Marsch
- Mirich
- Morach
- Murach
- Morrish
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname March in...
Braille
⠍⠁⠗⠉⠓
Morse
--.-.-.-.-.....
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,460 people named March in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,737th most common surname in Britain. Around 84 in a million people in Britain are named March.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named March
- Solly March - Football player
- Elspeth March - Actress (1911 to 1999)
- Stephanie March - American actress
- Forbes March - Canadian actor
- Stan March - Football player
- George March - Cricketer (1932 to 2017)
- Paul March - Rugby league football player and coach
- David March - Rugby league player
- Jim March - Football player
- Elsie March - Sculptor (1884 to 1974)
- Billy March - Former professional football player (1925 to 1)
- Zach March - Football player (1892 to 1994)
- Harold Chalton Bradshaw CBE M.Arch - Architect (1893 to 1943)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.