Marion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Marion comes from the ancient Medieval culture of France, that specifically of a northwestern region known as Breton. It was a name for a devotee of the Virgin Mary. Tracing the origin of the name further, we found the name Marion was derived from the Hebrew name Miryam, which means wished for child.

Early Origins of the Marion family

The surname Marion was first found in Brittany (French: Bretagne), where this family held a family seat since ancient times.

The branch Marionel in Lorraine was ennobled in 1598. Thomas Marie, of the branch established in Burgundy, was ennobled in 1661, in return for his services in the position of lieutenant-general in the bailiwick, and of mayor of Auxerre, a position which he had held over a duration of ten years. The branch Marion de la Bretonnière was ennobled in 1704. Of the branch Marion de Procé came two aldermen of Nantes, in 1669 and in 1780, and also two magistrates. Charles-Stanislas Marion was a general, who entered into the nobility in 1810, and François-Louis Marion was a chief commander in Napoleon’s empire, who received his title to nobility in 1814. The members of the branch established in Lorraine became barons in 1816. From the branch Marion de Beaulieu stemmed a brigadier and a Baron in 1820.

Also in 1820, the members of the branch Marion des Noyers, in Brittany, became barons. In Guyenne, some members of the family settled in a town in the department of Gironde, in the district of Bazas.

Nicolas Marion, Lord of Fontaine and merchant of Quebec, married Marie Gueric in France in 1665. They travelled together to the New World, along with their son, Guillaume, who was born in 1667. Guillaume married Marie-Madeleine Demers in Quebec in 1698. [1]

Early History of the Marion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marion research.

Marion Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous spelling alterations depending on the region and time it was used. The early development of the French language relied heavily on borrowing elements and grammar from other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Marion is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Marion, Marionnaud, Marionneau, Mariot, Mariotte, Mariolle, Marie, Mariel, Marielle, Marionel, Marionelle, Mariet, Mariette, Mariéton and many more.

Marion World Ranking

In the United States, the name Marion is the 1,873^rd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. [2] However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Marion is ranked the 780^th most popular surname. [3] And in France, the name Marion is the 212^nd popular surname with an estimated 16,549 people with that name. [4]

 Marion migration to the United States +

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, Acadia were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Marion were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Marion were 

Marion Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Amedee Jean Marion, who landed in New York, NY in 1832 [5]
• Jose Marion, aged 25, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1837 [5]
• Sam Marion, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850-1865 [5]
• Michael R G Marion, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1856 [5]
• Peter I C Marion, who arrived in St Clair County, III in 1857