2000
#3,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.91
Uncommon Last name
March
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a boundary or borderland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,587 Americans carry the last name March. That puts it at #3,450 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the March surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for March with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,581
Census rank
#3,450
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,104 bearers of the surname March in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3450th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname March, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.2%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of March
The surname March originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "mearc," meaning a boundary or frontier. This name was likely given to someone who lived near a territorial boundary or worked as a keeper of the marches.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Merche." This entry suggests that the name was well-established in parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de la Merche" and "atte Merche," indicating a connection to a specific place or location. Some of these place names may have been derived from the Old English word "mearc," while others could have been influenced by the Norman French term "marche," meaning a border region.
Notable individuals with the surname March include:
1. Roger de la Marche (c. 1238-1322), an English nobleman and military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
2. Edmund March (c. 1459-1510), an English scholar and author who wrote on astronomy and astrology.
3. John March (c. 1612-1657), an English military officer who served in the English Civil War and was known for his bravery in battle.
4. Francis Andrew March (1825-1911), an American philologist and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of comparative grammar.
5. Noel Gilroy Annan, Baron March (1916-2000), a British military officer, academic, and public servant who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London and the Provost of University College London.
The surname March has a rich history and has been associated with various regions and occupations throughout the centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the concept of territorial boundaries, which has shaped its evolution and usage over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for March
Among Census respondents with the surname March, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.2%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how March bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the March surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 7,504
- Black or African American16.2% · 1,635
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 440
- Two or more races4.1% · 411
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for March
March appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,719
+166 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.63
Rank movement Down 209 places
2020
#3,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,104
-615 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 3.38
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,135 | 10,553 | 3.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,344 | 10,719 | 3.63 | +166 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 209 places |
| 2020 | #3,450 | 10,104 | 3.38 | -615 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 106 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the March surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,344 | #3,450 | -3.2% |
| Count | 10,719 | 10,104 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.63 | 3.38 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of March bearers went from 10,719 to 10,104 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,344 to #3,450.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname March
FAQ
March surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname March?
Name Census estimates that about 11,587 living Americans carry the surname March. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,581 residents.
How common is March?
March ranks #3,450 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,104 people with the surname March. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,587), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname March.
Has March become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname March went from 10,719 recorded bearers to 10,104. That is a decrease of 615 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,344 to #3,450.
What does the Census say about the background of March?
Among Census respondents with the surname March, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.2%) and Hispanic (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname March in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (7,504 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
March appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Black (16.2%), Hispanic (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for March (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does March mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived near a boundary or borderland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for March (3.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname March?
Find out how many people are called March on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.