Marcus Boy

Popularity: #246 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MAR-kus //ˈmɑːrkəs//

Origin: Latin; Roman

Meaning: Latin: male; Roman: dedicated to Mars

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Marcus has its roots in ancient Rome, deriving from the Latin name "Marcus," which is believed to be related to the Roman god of war, Mars. The etymology suggests a meaning of "male, manly, or brave," reflecting the martial connotations associated with Mars.

The name was prevalent among the Romans and was used by several notable figures, including Marcus Tullius Cicero, a prominent statesman and philosopher of the late Roman Republic, and Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor in the 2nd century CE. The name's transition into English occurred through the influence of the Latin language during the Roman occupation of Britain and later through the Norman Conquest, which brought Latin-derived names into the English vernacular.

Throughout history, the name Marcus has been borne by various saints, most notably Saint Mark, one of the four Evangelists in the New Testament. His feast day is celebrated on April 25, and he is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Christian community in Alexandria.

The Gospel of Mark, attributed to him, is one of the earliest and most significant texts in Christianity, contributing to the name's enduring legacy. The name also appears in various historical texts and documents, further solidifying its presence in the cultural and religious landscape of Europe.

Culturally, Marcus has been associated with strength and valor, qualities that have made it a favored choice in various societies. The name has inspired numerous variations and diminutives, such as Mark and Marco, which have also gained traction in different cultures.

The historical significance of Marcus is underscored by its continuous use across centuries, reflecting a blend of classical heritage and religious importance that has allowed it to resonate through time.

Famous people named Marcus

In this section, you will find notable people named Marcus. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Marcus who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Marcus who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Marcus Aurelius is a philosopher and Roman Emperor best known for Meditations.

Marcus Mumford is a musician best known as the lead singer of Mumford & Sons.

Marcus Rashford is a professional footballer best known for playing with Manchester United and the England national team.

Marcus Samuelsson is a chef and restaurateur best known for Red Rooster and his appearances on Top Chef.

Marcus Smart is a professional basketball player best known for playing with the Boston Celtics and winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Marcus Allen is a former professional American football player best known for his career with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

Marcus Garvey was a political leader and activist best known for founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association.

Marcus Lattimore is a former professional American football player best known for his college career at the University of South Carolina.

Fictional characters named Marcus

The following list of fictional characters named Marcus is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Marcus Wright is a fictional character from the film Terminator Salvation. He is a hybrid human-machine who plays a crucial role in the resistance against Skynet.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Marcus, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MatthewMartinMiloMaxMasonMiles

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Marcus. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MarkMarvinMarekMarcellusMariusMalcolmMaddox

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Marcus was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Marcus has ranked as high as #109 nationally, which occurred in 1984, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Illinois, New York, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Marcus has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Marcus is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Marcus was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Marcus.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,341 1,341 0
2024 1,382 1,382 0
2023 1,400 1,400 0
2022 1,484 1,479 5
2021 1,616 1,616 0
2020 1,661 1,661 0
2019 1,722 1,722 0
2018 1,901 1,901 0
2017 2,042 2,037 5
2016 2,188 2,183 5
2015 2,481 2,481 0
2014 2,620 2,620 0
2013 2,536 2,536 0
2012 2,723 2,718 5
2011 2,814 2,814 0
2010 3,136 3,131 5
2009 3,409 3,409 0
2008 3,397 3,392 5
2007 3,675 3,670 5
2006 3,813 3,813 0
2005 3,477 3,477 0
2004 3,502 3,480 22
2003 3,402 3,395 7
2002 3,549 3,544 5
2001 3,705 3,696 9
2000 3,811 3,797 14
1999 3,882 3,867 15
1998 4,021 4,015 6
1997 4,192 4,183 9
1996 4,557 4,546 11
1995 4,660 4,647 13
1994 5,272 5,258 14
1993 5,076 5,063 13
1992 4,564 4,545 19
1991 5,081 5,069 12
1990 5,335 5,304 31
1989 5,432 5,395 37
1988 5,248 5,207 41
1987 5,006 4,950 56
1986 5,344 5,278 66
1985 5,651 5,586 65
1984 6,060 5,996 64
1983 5,704 5,637 67
1982 5,024 4,988 36
1981 4,550 4,510 40
1980 4,305 4,260 45
1979 4,094 4,048 46
1978 4,038 3,995 43
1977 3,885 3,846 39
1976 3,714 3,681 33
1975 4,012 3,969 43
1974 3,839 3,801 38
1973 3,744 3,714 30
1972 3,717 3,685 32
1971 4,452 4,410 42
1970 4,345 4,315 30
1969 2,230 2,212 18
1968 1,556 1,538 18
1967 1,486 1,472 14
1966 1,278 1,266 12
1965 1,382 1,373 9
1964 1,361 1,351 10
1963 1,334 1,322 12
1962 1,377 1,372 5
1961 1,323 1,313 10
1960 1,332 1,326 6
1959 1,218 1,210 8
1958 989 982 7
1957 1,044 1,035 9
1956 1,068 1,063 5
1955 974 974 0
1954 903 897 6
1953 732 725 7
1952 681 676 5
1951 576 576 0
1950 563 556 7
1949 464 464 0
1948 406 406 0
1947 392 392 0
1946 382 382 0
1945 280 280 0
1944 282 277 5
1943 282 282 0
1942 268 268 0
1941 265 265 0
1940 250 250 0
1939 231 226 5
1938 224 224 0
1937 226 226 0
1936 212 207 5
1935 226 226 0
1934 226 226 0
1933 239 239 0
1932 222 222 0
1931 225 225 0
1930 277 277 0
1929 248 248 0
1928 256 256 0
1927 286 279 7
1926 310 310 0
1925 312 312 0
1924 333 333 0
1923 326 320 6
1922 304 297 7
1921 359 353 6
1920 321 321 0
1919 287 287 0
1918 273 273 0
1917 288 283 5
1916 278 278 0
1915 307 307 0
1914 192 192 0
1913 172 172 0
1912 132 132 0
1911 64 64 0
1910 63 63 0
1909 49 49 0
1908 51 51 0
1907 46 46 0
1906 61 61 0
1905 53 53 0
1904 42 42 0
1903 44 44 0
1902 44 44 0
1901 44 44 0
1900 48 48 0
1899 46 46 0
1898 44 44 0
1897 38 38 0
1896 39 39 0
1895 36 36 0
1894 46 46 0
1893 51 51 0
1892 44 44 0
1891 28 28 0
1890 33 33 0
1889 38 38 0
1888 47 47 0
1887 23 23 0
1886 39 39 0
1885 44 44 0
1884 57 57 0
1883 38 38 0
1882 46 46 0
1881 45 45 0
1880 47 47 0

Top States for Marcus (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 156
11%
TX 156
11%
FL 98
7%
OH 62
5%
PA 56
4%
NY 56
4%
VA 50
4%
GA 45
3%
IL 44
3%
WA 42
3%
NC 39
3%
WI 37
3%
NJ 34
3%
TN 33
2%
IN 31
2%
MI 30
2%
MN 26
2%
MA 24
2%
OR 23
2%
CO 23
2%
MD 22
2%
AZ 22
2%
LA 21
2%
AL 18
1%
SC 18
1%
UT 17
1%
MO 17
1%
KY 16
1%
OK 14
1%
IA 14
1%
NM 12
1%
AR 12
1%
NV 10
1%
KS 9
1%
ID 9
1%
NH 9
1%
MS 8
1%
RI 8
1%
WV 8
1%
MT 7
1%
NE 7
1%
CT 6
0%
SD 6
0%
DE 5
0%