Given name & surname
Markus
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
In German use, Markus has a related form in Marcus. In Latin use, Marcus carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Markus has a related form in Marcus. In Latin use, Marcus carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Markus has a related form in Mark. An origin associated with Mark is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Finnish usage, Markus developed from Marcus.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Markus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 14,947
- 14,947 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 396 babies
- 2025
- 144
- #1,336 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 144 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,336 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 396 in 1994. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,494 as a first name in 2020; 3,485 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.
Markus’s family of names
In Estonian usage, Markus has a short form in Mark. In Finnish usage, Markus developed from the Latin form Marcus. In German usage, Markus has a related form in Marc.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Markus has relatives in 53 languages.
52 related names in 53 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Markvariant · German, Estonian
- Marcusvariant · Swedish, Norwegian
- Margovariant · Estonian
- Marcvariant · German, French
- Markovariant · Estonian, German
- Marekvariant · Estonian, Polish
- Marxvariant · German
- Margusvariant · Estonian
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 42
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- MarcoItalian
- MarceloSpanish
- MarcosSpanish, war
- MarcelFrench
- MarcelloItalian
- MarcellusLatin
- MarlonEnglish
- MarcelinoSpanish
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- MarlinEnglish
- MarcellHungarian
- MarckDanish
- MalekoHawaiian
- MarcioSpanish
- Marqusequivalent
- MarksLatvian
- MarcellinoItalian
- MarcasIrish
- MarkkusFinnish
- МаркRussian
- MárkHungarian
- МаркоUkrainian, Serbian
- MharcuisScottish Gaelic
- MarcuRomanian, Corsican
- MárcioPortuguese
- MarcelinhoPortuguese
- MerkuszPolish
- MarguszPolish
- MarceliPolish
- MarkysManx
- MorkusLithuanian
- MarghCornish
- マークJapanese
- MarzioItalian
- MarkúsIcelandic
- מרקוסHebrew
- MarcellinFrench
- MarkuFinnish
- MarkkuFinnish
- MarkkoFinnish
- 马可cdo
- 馬可cdo
- MartzelBasque
People named Markus
- Markus PerssonSwedish video game programmer and founder of Mojang (born 1979)
- Markus SöderGerman politician (CSU)born 1967
- Markus BabbelGerman association football player and managerborn 1972
- Markus WolfHead of the East German foreign intelligence service during the Cold War (1923–2006)
- Markus ZusakAustralian author (born 1975)
- Markus RosenbergSwedish association football playerborn 1982
- Markus MerkGerman football refereeborn 1962
- Markus WinkelhockGerman racing driverborn 1980
- Markus Suttnerassociation football playerborn 1987
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Markus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marquis
“a lord of the borderlands; a nobleman”
>99% boys
Mathew
“gift of God” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Malik
“the sovereign”
>99% boys
Mitchell
“who is like God?”
>99% boys
Malcolm
“devotee of St Columba” · “dove”
>99% boys
Darius
“a kingly man; one who is wealthy”
>99% boys
Alec
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% boys
Darien
“a gift”
97% boys · 3% girls