Frequency: (166)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Muslim: variant, under French influence, of a personal name based on Arabic marwan ‘granite’. It was the name of two Abbasid khalifs, Marwan I ben al-Hakam (ruled 684-5) and Marwan II al-Himar (ruled 744-750).
2. Arabic (Mārūn): identifying name for a Maronite Christian.
GIVEN NAMES: French 13%; Arabic 10%. Emile (3), Michel (2), Camil, Camille, Pascal; Maroun (2), Said (2), Charbel, Majeed, Nabih, Nabil, Nader, Naji, Nasif, Salem, Samir.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
