Surname History of Marchant1 Extended by DNA Research

The surname Marchant including the majority of its variations has been identified by the study of proper names (Onomastics) as a name with occupational origins.  They have cited the late Latin word mercatans which refers “to one who was a tradesman” as its root.  Ancestry.com notes primary origins of the surname as French or English.  Additionally, usage of the Merchant surname being derived from the English occupation of "trader" is noted in Gujarat and Bombay city among the Muslims and Parsi by the site.

The use of surnames developed at different times in different cultures.  A couple of examples where the variations on this surname proliferated were in the geographical areas now known as France and England.  Although not all localities in these areas conformed, the use of surnames began during the eleventh century (1000-1099 A.D.)  In England the establishment of church parish registers ordered by Thomas Cromwell in 1538 solidified the transition to surname usage.  French contact with England during this time led to similar surname development. The nobility of France led in the use of surnames with merchants, townspeople and eventually the rural population following in sequence. By 1200, the use of surnames was well established.  Like England, a law in 1539 required priest to record baptisms which served to solidify usage in France.

Marchant research has presented one legend that persists among some R1b1a22 lineages. The legend says that their family migrated as Huguenots from France to avoid persecution. These French Protestants followed the writings by John Calvin in the 1530s and were known as Huguenots by the 1560s.  Roughly 500,000 fled persecution in France by the end of the 17th century and early 18th century3 though the exact number of Marchants migrating is unknown.  Evidence of the surname Marchant appears in churches established around London for this group, and by records from all parts of the world to which these people migrated. Due to the fear of persecution that initiated this migration, it should be noted that frequent movement, name changes and spelling differences are part of this history. This legend certainly is one possible history for these R1b lineages as this is consistent with the haplogroup map established for this group.

Additional migration of persons with Marchant surnames occurred for other reasons.  Some migrated to England as weavers to bring their skills from Europe shortly after 1337.  Records also exist for their migration as merchants as early as 23 Mar 1283/4 when James and Robert Marchant appear in court records in Rye, Kent, England. Proof of these migrations is sparse in a time where there was little documentation of anyone except the wealthy or ruling families, or for court appearances.

It is important to remember that the Y-DNA that links our surnames predates the usage of any surnames. This is one reason that matches for this group may not carry a variation of this surname.  Additionally, matches may occur through name changes (adoption or otherwise), or through illegitimacy.

Another important idea to consider when working with Y-DNA and surnames is that the occupational origins of these variations has created many separate lineages.  Researchers can benefit by their Y-DNA matches and their differences.  Matches offer a new way to break down walls where traditional genealogy cannot or has yet to penetrate with documents.  It also extends the researchers’ ability to move into prehistory.  Additionally, researchers can sometimes eliminate certain family lines where the Y-DNA is different.  This can eliminate hours of work especially where researchers share known family members via pedigree paperwork (by uploading your GED files).

A final element of DNA research that extends our Marchant lineages is the development of  Y chromosome haplogroups by genealogists who focus on genetics known as genetealogists.  These groups compare DNA from various geographic locations from indigenous people living in ancestral homes and thereby construct migratory patterns from earliest prehistoric times.  By comparing our Marchant Y-DNA through these haplogroup results we can determine family history far into prehistory.  

In conclusion, the history of families connected to the surname Marchant is still in its infancy.  Direct to consumer DNA testing dates only to 1999 even though Charles Darwin investigated the use of surnames in genetics in 1875.  The future brings great hope for genealogists that consider DNA.  First, the science behind genetic genealogy is continuing to be refined, and second, the database of researchers participating continues to increase.  The combination of traditional research with the advances of genetics research will help to uncover the familial ties to our distant common ancestors or the existence of additional lineages using the same or variation of Marchant.

________________________

1 Marchant was chosen to represent a composite of the Marchant/Merchant Surname groups for readability of the history.  It was chosen by anecdotal evidence that it was the most populous variation of the name used world wide.

2 Currently, one other haplogroup is represented in group results with the Merchan variation of the surname. This group, J-M267, shows migration in the Mediterranean and North African areas. Hopefully, research will add details to the history of this lineage in the future.

3 The Research Outline for France from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah notes the years 1538 to 1685 as the years Protestants flee religious persecution in France.

________________________

Marchant Links