According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of vegetable marrows dates to 1822, zucchini to 1929, and courgettes to 1931.
Before the introduction of  Cucurbita species from the New World, marrow signified the immature, edible fruits of Lagenaria, a cucurbit gourd of African origin widely grown since Antiquity for eating when immature and for drying as watertight receptacles when grown to maturity.

Marrows are commonly cultivated in the British Isles, and the term "marrow" for the plant and for the fruit is current there, especially for the striped, thicker-skinned cultivar.
However, both in North America (since the 1920s) and in Britain (since the 1960s), thinner-skinned immature marrows have gained popularity due to their tender skin and distinct flavour.
Hedrick (1928) in his book The vegetables of New York p.50, describes the "English Vegetable Marrow" as "one of the earliest forms of marrow squash grown, but has never been exceedingly popular in this country".

The fashion for eating immature marrows, called in Britain "courgettes", is relatively recent in Britain.
Sudell (1966) does not mention courgettes, although he has a section on "vegetable marrow", noting both trailing (vining) and bush types and saying "cut when young".
Witham Fogg (1966) wrote "Courgettes These are really very tender baby marrows which have long been popular in France. ...
Cooked and eaten with butter they form a very palatable dish."
He devotes a page and a half to (vegetable) marrows and less than half a page to courgettes, which he clearly regards as something new to Britain.

The record for the world's largest marrow is currently being held by William Gibbs who grew his giant from an allotment in North West Leicestershire.
It weighed a surprising 128 pounds.
Gibbs was regarded as a master in his trade but retired from competing after only two years at his peak when his crop was sabotaged by a rival grower.
He was not only able to grow the marrows out long but expanded girth by around 415mm from the previous year.
Gibbs specialised in marrow growing before moving to the Gladioli (flower) section.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of vegetable marrows dates to 1822, zucchini to 1929, and courgettes to 1931. Before the introduction of  Cucurbita species from the New World, marrow signified the immature, edible fruits of Lagenaria, a cucurbit gourd of African origin widely grown since Antiquity for eating when immature and for drying as watertight receptacles when grown to maturity.
Marrows are commonly cultivated in the British Isles, and the term "marrow" for the plant and for the fruit is current there, especially for the striped, thicker-skinned cultivar. However, both in North America (since the 1920s) and in Britain (since the 1960s), thinner-skinned immature marrows have gained popularity due to their tender skin and distinct flavour. Hedrick (1928) in his book The vegetables of New York p.50, describes the "English Vegetable Marrow" as "one of the earliest forms of marrow squash grown, but has never been exceedingly popular in this country".
The fashion for eating immature marrows, called in Britain "courgettes", is relatively recent in Britain. Sudell (1966) does not mention courgettes, although he has a section on "vegetable marrow", noting both trailing (vining) and bush types and saying "cut when young". Witham Fogg (1966) wrote "Courgettes These are really very tender baby marrows which have long been popular in France. ... Cooked and eaten with butter they form a very palatable dish." He devotes a page and a half to (vegetable) marrows and less than half a page to courgettes, which he clearly regards as something new to Britain.
The record for the world's largest marrow is currently being held by William Gibbs who grew his giant from an allotment in North West Leicestershire. It weighed a surprising 128 pounds. Gibbs was regarded as a master in his trade but retired from competing after only two years at his peak when his crop was sabotaged by a rival grower. He was not only able to grow the marrows out long but expanded girth by around 415mm from the previous year. Gibbs specialised in marrow growing before moving to the Gladioli (flower) section.
Marrow (vegetable)