Frequency: (324)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Polish (also Marasz), Czech, and Slovak: from a derivative of the personal names Marek or Martin.
2. Czech (Mářas): from the name for a man who was the son or husband of a woman called Máří, Czech form of Maria.
3. Croatian: from a pet form of any of several personal name beginning with Mar-, e.g. Marijan, Marin, Marko.
4. Polish: topographic name from Polish dialect maras ‘marsh’.
5. Greek: nickname from Albanian marrë ‘crazy’, ‘wild’, ‘strong’. This element is also found as part of composite names such as Maragiannis ‘crazy John’.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
