'marram' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'maralmr', where 'mar' meant 'sea' and 'halmr' meant 'straw' or 'stalk'.

'maralmr' changed from Old Norse to Scots as 'marram', and eventually became the modern English word 'marram'.

Initially, it meant 'sea straw' or 'sea grass', and over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a coarse grass that grows on sand dunes'.