Given name & surname · also Latin
Marcus
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
Marcus is a variant of Mark. One Latin interpretation is “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Original LatinMarcellus
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Latin use, Marcus carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.” Marcus is a variant of Mark. One Latin interpretation is “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Roman, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
Marcus is used as a form of Mark.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marcus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 242,999
- 241,657 boys · 1,342 girls
- Most popular year
- 1984
- 6,060 babies
- 2025
- 1,341
- #258 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,341 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 258 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 5,996 in 1984. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (170). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 184,054 as a first name in 2020; 16,763 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marcus’s family of names
In French usage, Marcus has a diminutive in Marcel. Marcus has a feminine form in Marcia. Marcus has a related form in Mark.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marcus has relatives in 33 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- MarekPolish, Czech
- Marciafeminine form
- Marxequivalent
- Marksderivative · Latvian
- Márkequivalent
- Markussequivalent
- Márkusequivalent
- Մարկոսequivalent
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- ܡܪܩܘܣequivalent
- МаркRussian
- ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲱderivative · onw
- ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟderivative · onw
- ⲙⲁⲣⲕⲟⲥderivative · onw, Coptic
- مرقسderivative · Arabic
- Маркоderivative · Ukrainian
- מרקוסderivative · Aramaic
- Markkoderivative · izh
- Marcuborrowing · Romanian
- Markysborrowing · Manx
- Marcellinderivative
- Markkuequivalent
- مُرْقُسُArabic
- Μᾶρκοςroot · Ancient Greek
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Marcus
- Marcus RashfordEnglish footballer (born 1997)
- Mark RothkoAmerican painter of Latvian-Jewish descent (1903–1970)
- Marcus GarveyJamaica-born British political activist, Pan-Africanist, orator, and entrepreneur (1887-1940)
- Marcus Tulio TanakaJapanese association football playerborn 1981
- Marcus ThuramFrench footballer (born 1997)
- Marcus BergSwedish association football player (born 1986)
- Marcus StephenNauruan sportperson and politicianborn 1969
- Marcus EricssonSwedish racing driverborn 1990
- Marcus AllbäckSwedish association football playerborn 1973
Characters named Marcus: Marcus Dixon (the television series Alias), Marcus Cole (Babylon 5), Marcus Fenix (Gears of War), Marcus Hamilton (the television series Angel).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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