Mares
Usually a surname from a marshy place-name, especially Norman French le Marais, though in Scotland it could also be tied to the word for a marsh.
The #2,427 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,678 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is generally taken from Old French le marais, meaning "the marsh," referring to someone who lived by or came from a marshy place. Anglo-Norman spelling could appear as Marais, Mares, or similar forms, and some early writers linked the name to Norman localities such as Le Marais. In Scots usage, the same written form could also reflect a word meaning a marsh, reinforcing the place-name sense.
History
Historical name lists show Mares as a Norman and English surname in medieval records, with later spellings also appearing in Britain. Barber notes a Hugue or Huguenot presence for Mares in London by the 17th century, while other 19th-century works connect forms like Maris and Marris to Norman local origin. The surname has remained relatively uncommon in the United States, though it is established enough to appear in modern census data.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same French word behind this surname also gave English the place-name element marais, a marshy lowland.
From the historical record
“MARE. Scot. Great. MARES. Scot, from Fr. marais. A marsh. ]\I A E MARGARET. A very common XIII. century surname. See Female Christian Names. MARGERISON. MARJORISON. See”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom