Marcus
Marcus was the 258th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,341 babies. Its best year was 1984, when it ranked 57th with 5,996 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 90 places. More babies were named Marcus in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Latin, Etruscan
Say it MAR-kuhs /ˈmɑrkəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #258 boys, down 32 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,341boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19845,996 babies
- Total since 1880
- 242,999babies recorded
What does the name Marcus mean?
Marcus is a Latin first name, one of the most common in ancient Rome. DMNES and Wikipedia say it comes either from Mars, the Roman god of war, or from the Etruscan name Marce, whose meaning is unknown; Wiktionary gives the Mars link. Mark is the English form, from the Gospel writer. Wikipedia notes that Marcus is popular in Sweden, Norway, Italy and Germany as well as in English-speaking countries.
Mārcus (Latin, “Roman first name”)Mārs (Latin, “Mars, god of war (proposed)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Linked with the god Mars or with Etruscan Marce; neither is certain.
Related names: Mark, Marco, Markus, Marcos, Marc.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marcus', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mark', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Marcus (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Marcus
The usual nicknames for Marcus are Marc. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Marcus in the last five years, 13 were named Marc, against 28 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marc | Modern | #1,237 | 940 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Marcuss go by each one.
Marcus popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,342 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #258 | 1,341 |
| 2020 | #226 | 1,661 |
| 2010 | #130 | 3,131 |
| 2000 | #99 | 3,797 |
| 1990 | #72 | 5,304 |
| 1980 | #71 | 4,260 |
| 1970 | #71 | 4,315 |
| 1960 | #210 | 1,326 |
| 1950 | #283 | 556 |
| 1940 | #363 | 250 |
| 1930 | #334 | 277 |
| 1920 | #326 | 321 |
| 1910 | #314 | 63 |
| 1900 | #303 | 48 |
| 1890 | #301 | 33 |
| 1880 | #242 | 47 |
How popular is Marcus, counting every spelling?
Marcus is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #189 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #258 for Marcus on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,064 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus | 1,341 | #258 | 7,218 |
| Marcos | 579 | #517 | 3,083 |
| Markus | 144 | #1,336 | 782 |
| Markese | — | — | 54 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Marcus?
1,341 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marcus (0.37 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marcus born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marcus.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marcus?
About 216,200 people born in the US named Marcus are alive today, with a median age of 36; half are between 23 and 47. That makes Marcus mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Marcus by state
How common Marcus was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (1.9×), New Mexico (1.8×), Washington (1.7×), Mississippi (1.6×), Delaware (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Maine.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marcus: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marcus, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marcus · Sibling names for Marcus
Questions about the name Marcus
What does Marcus mean?
The origin of Marcus is uncertain: Linked with the god Mars or with Etruscan Marce; neither is certain.
How popular is the name Marcus?
Marcus was the 258th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,341 babies. Its best year was 1984, when it ranked 57th with 5,996 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 90 places. More babies were named Marcus in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Marcus a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marcus in the US.
Where is Marcus most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marcus was most common in Oregon (1.59 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Alaska.