This interesting French name has two possible sources of origin, the first being that it is the patronymic (son of) form of Marie a popular medieval given name as it is the name of the mother of Christ. It derives from the Aramaic 'Maryam' or Hebrew 'Miryam' and perhaps means wished-for-child, or alternatively a compound of 'mar', drop and 'yam', sea - in Latin 'stella maris', star of the sea. However it is possible that it is the patronymic of a locational name Marris, which derives from the Olde French 'marais' a marsh. Naturally the name predominates in the fen country. Two recordings of weddings in London are between one Thomas Marison and Hannah Atkinson at St. Leonard's, Shoreditch on 8th October 1821, and Mary Marrison and Joseph Swain at St. Michael's, Bassishaw on 28th July 1828. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Maris, which was dated 1086, Domesday Book of Buckinghamshire, during the reign of King William I, The Conqueror, 1066 - 1087. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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