Maraga

Recorded in a number of spellings including Maraga, Marages, Maraques, Maranges (Spanish), and in England, Marjoram and Margeram, as well as historically recently imported spellings such as Marada and possibly Maragam, this is a name of Italian and probably Roman (Latin) origins. The Romans occupied both Spain and Britain for several centuries, and particularly left their mark both on the language, and in the development of the subsequent surnames, although this did not take place until a thousand years later. This surname would seem to have developed from the word "maggioram", a yellow purple coloured herb much used in ancient times for both cooking and in the treatment of various medical conditions. A member of the mint family, it does not appear to have any connection with the modern butter replacement "margarine", except possibly in the colour. The surname is therefore almost certainly occupational for a grower or seller of herbs, although it may also have been topographical from residence at a place where the herbs were grown. Early examples of the surname recording taken at random from surviving church registers of Spain include Catarina Marages, a witness at olot, Gerona, on May 30th 1641, and Domingo Maranges, at La Escala, Gerona, on April 26th 1681.