Marrow
A surname with mixed origins: it may come from an old word for “companion,” or more often from a place-name like Moor Row.
The #8,954 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,449 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname MARROW is not straightforward, and 19th-century sources give more than one explanation. One line of explanation connects it with Middle English marwe, meaning “companion, mate, lover,” which would make it a nickname-type surname. Other sources treat it as a local surname, linked to a place or dwelling called something like Moor Row, meaning the houses or row on the moor. Because the historical evidence points in different directions, the name is best treated as uncertain in origin.
History
The name appears in English records by the late medieval and early modern period, and later spellings such as Morrow and Marrow were both in use. Bardsley and Harrison both discuss it, but they do not agree on a single derivation. In practice, modern bearers may descend from different local or nickname-based lines that converged on the same spelling.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some old surname dictionaries grouped Marrow with names like Morrow and even used it as an example of how easily local surnames could shift spelling over time.
From the historical record
“Confused with Morrison, q.v. MARROW (Eng.) Companion, Mate, Lover [M.E. marwe] (Celt.) for Morrow, q-v. MARRSHEng.) Dweller at the Mar(r)s or MARS J Meres [v. Marr 2] MARSDEN \ (Eng.) Bel. to Marsden (Lanes, MARSDIN JYorks, and Durhani) = the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)