Marcus

Marcus - A very unique male name

Marcus appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #358. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Marcus and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Marcus? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Marcus. The baby boy name Marcus was given to 1,315 baby boys in 2025, ranking #257 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,115 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Marcus peaked in popularity 42 years ago in 1984 on position 57.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Marcus, 1-5?

Marcus is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Marcus is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #176 - and is the least popular in Connecticut at position #474.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Marcus is where you live.

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Marcus origin and meaning

Latin (Roman)

Traditionally "dedicated to Mars," the Roman god of war — Marcus is among the oldest Roman praenomina

Marcus is one of the few first names in continuous use from ancient Rome — borne by emperors, by Cicero, and by Marcus Aurelius the philosopher-emperor. In America it peaked in 1984 and has fallen slowly, remaining a strong, scholarly classic.

Attested etymology

Marcus is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Marcus, pop culture references for the name Marcus and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Marcus

We've found the following names that sound similar to Marcus, sorted by popularity.

Mark / Marc / Maurice / Marco / Morris / Marcos / Marquis / Mauricio / Markus / Marquise /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Marcus

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Marcus a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Marcus?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

MAR-kus · /ˈmɑːrkəs/

Around the world

• Marcos (Spanish) — Spanish and Portuguese form
• Marco (Italian) — Italian form
• Markus (German) — German form

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: MarkMarc

Famous bearers

• Marcus Aurelius — Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, author of the Meditations (121–180) Historical
• Marcus Garvey — Jamaican political leader and Black nationalist pioneer (1887–1940) Historical
• Marcus Rashford — English footballer and child-poverty campaigner (b. 1997) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Parents pick Marcus over Mark for the full Roman weight — a name that sounds educated and unhurried, and shortens cleanly when wanted.

Worth knowing

• Most Marcuses are called Mark half the time, so choose Marcus only if you like both.
• Its 1984 peak places it in the parent generation for many.