boys' name ★ peaked 1984

Marcus

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #258 Trend ↓ Falling 19%

Marcus is a masculine given name of Ancient Roman pre-Christian origin derived either from Etruscan Marce of unknown meaning or referring to the god Mars.

Rank 2025
#258
among boys · ↓2 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
1,341
named Marcus · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 1,274
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1984
6,060 babies
All-time total
242,999
#162 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Marcus popularity over time

242,999 babies have been named Marcus since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
123418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 424 424 42 – #220
1890s – 405 405 41 -4% #245
1900s – 482 482 48 +19% #253
1910s 5 2,051 2,056 206 +327% #283
1920s 26 3,029 3,055 306 +49% #305
1930s 10 2,298 2,308 231 -24% #334
1940s 5 3,266 3,271 327 +42% #315
1950s 54 8,694 8,748 875 +167% #225
1960s 114 14,545 14,659 1,466 +68% #138
1970s 376 39,464 39,840 3,984 +172% #65
1980s 517 51,807 52,324 5,232 +31% #57
1990s 143 46,497 46,640 4,664 -11% #72
2000s 67 35,673 35,740 3,574 -23% #99
2010s 20 24,143 24,163 2,416 -32% #130
2020s (to 2025) 5 8,879 8,884 1,481 -39% #226

Where Marcus is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 1,295 0.76 #266
2027 1,256 0.74 #273
2028 1,225 0.72 #278
2029 1,199 0.70 #284
2030 1,177 0.69 #288

Where Marcus is most popular

Boys named Marcus per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.836 per 1,000. Strongest in Oregon, New Mexico, and Alaska.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Marcus born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Oregon 121 1.59 +91%
New Mexico 50 1.52 +82%
Alaska 17 1.43 +71%
Washington 233 1.42 +70%
Mississippi 75 1.32 +58%
Delaware 20 1.32 +58%
New Hampshire 29 1.31 +56%
Montana 23 1.30 +56%
Wisconsin 152 1.28 +54%
Nevada 69 1.21 +45%
Hawaii 18 1.16 +39%
Pennsylvania 300 1.13 +35%
Arkansas 71 1.12 +34%
Utah 107 1.12 +34%
Ohio 297 1.12 +34%
Idaho 44 1.08 +29%
Louisiana 109 1.07 +28%
Maryland 124 1.04 +24%
Minnesota 127 1.04 +24%
Alabama 112 1.02 +23%
Massachusetts 139 1.01 +21%
Iowa 69 1.00 +20%
Michigan 203 0.991 +19%
Indiana 157 0.979 +17%
Virginia 185 0.975 +17%
California 885 0.968 +16%
Georgia 243 0.959 +15%
Tennessee 170 0.942 +13%
Colorado 121 0.937 +12%
Florida 442 0.933 +12%
Arizona 152 0.929 +11%
Missouri 125 0.902 +8%
South Carolina 90 0.871 ≈ national
Wyoming 5 0.864 ≈ national
New York 374 0.864 ≈ national
South Dakota 16 0.860 ≈ national
Nebraska 37 0.851 ≈ national
Texas 746 0.847 ≈ national
Kansas 58 0.846 ≈ national
Kentucky 84 0.837 ≈ national
Oklahoma 74 0.837 ≈ national
Illinois 206 0.806 ≈ national
North Carolina 201 0.787 -6%
Connecticut 50 0.739 -12%
North Dakota 12 0.703 -16%
New Jersey 140 0.695 -17%
West Virginia 19 0.582 -30%
Maine 10 0.515 -38%
Rhode Island 8 0.491 -41%
District of Columbia 6 0.406 -51%
Vermont – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Marcus

Marcus is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #258 in 2025 with 1,341 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 242,999 American babies have been named Marcus. Its peak came in 1984, when 6,060 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Marcus stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Marcus?

The median living Marcus is about 35 years old; half are between 22 and 46. An estimated 221 thousand people named Marcus are alive in the United States today.

median 35 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Marcus year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 1,341 #258
2024 – – 1,382 #256
2023 – – 1,400 #250
2022 5 #16,845 1,479 #235
2021 – – 1,616 #228
2020 – – 1,661 #226
2019 – – 1,722 #218
2018 – – 1,901 #209
2017 5 #17,500 2,037 #194
2016 5 #17,895 2,183 #183
2015 – – 2,481 #168
2014 – – 2,620 #157
2013 – – 2,536 #159
2012 5 #18,580 2,718 #149
2011 – – 2,814 #145
2010 5 #18,824 3,131 #130
2009 – – 3,409 #123
2008 5 #19,413 3,392 #125
2007 5 #19,442 3,670 #117
2006 – – 3,813 #112
2005 – – 3,477 #116
2004 22 #5,685 3,480 #116
2003 7 #13,317 3,395 #119
2002 5 #17,138 3,544 #106
2001 9 #10,676 3,696 #104
2000 14 #7,425 3,797 #99
1995 13 #6,891 4,647 #81
1990 31 #3,483 5,304 #72
1985 65 #1,751 5,586 #61
1980 45 #2,233 4,260 #71
1975 43 #2,040 3,969 #68
1970 30 #2,488 4,315 #71
1965 9 #4,701 1,373 #184
1960 6 #6,120 1,326 #210
1955 – – 974 #228
1950 7 #4,578 556 #283
1945 – – 280 #355
1940 – – 250 #363
1935 – – 226 #361
1930 – – 277 #334
1925 – – 312 #325
1920 – – 321 #326
1915 – – 307 #283
1910 – – 63 #314
1905 – – 53 #272
1900 – – 48 #303
1895 – – 36 #302
1890 – – 33 #301
1885 – – 44 #250
1880 – – 47 #242

Famous people named Marcus

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Stoic philosopher, Roman emperor from 161 to 180 121–180 · Antiquity
  2. 2 Marcus Garvey Marcus Garvey Jamaican activist and orator (1887–1940) 19th century
  3. 3 Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus Roman general and statesman (115–53 BC) -115–-53 · Antiquity
  4. 4 Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Roman general and statesman (c. 63–12 BC) -63–-12 · Antiquity
  5. 5 Marcus Terentius Varro Marcus Terentius Varro Roman polymath and author (116–27 BC) -116–-27 · Antiquity
  6. 6 Marcus Furius Camillus Marcus Furius Camillus 4th-century BC Roman dictator and general -446–-365 · Antiquity
  7. 7 Marcus Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus Roman general and politician (c. 270–208 BC) -268–-208 · Antiquity
  8. 8 Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Roman politician and general (89–13/12 BC) -89–-13 · Antiquity
  9. 9 Marcus Tullius Tiro Secretary and personal assistant to Marcus Tullius Cicero -103–-4 · Antiquity
  10. 10 Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus Roman Senator and general -102–-48 · Antiquity
  11. 11 Marcus Antonius Creticus 1st-century BC Roman politician -115–-71 · Antiquity
  12. 12 Marcus Cornelius Fronto 2nd century AD Roman rhetorician and advocate 100–160 · Antiquity
  13. 13 Marcus Antonius Roman senator and renowned orator -143–-87 · Antiquity
  14. 14 Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus 1st-century BC Roman politician and general -64–8 · Antiquity
  15. 15 Marcus Gavius Apicius Marcus Gavius Apicius 1st century AD Roman aristocrat and gourmet -25–37 · Antiquity
  16. 16 Marcus Aurelius Marius Marcus Aurelius Marius Emperor of the Roman Gallic empire in 269 250–269 · Antiquity
  17. 17 Marcus Manlius Capitolinus Marcus Manlius Capitolinus Roman hero who saved the Capitol from a Gaulish attack -500–-384 · Antiquity
  18. 18 Marcus Atilius Regulus Marcus Atilius Regulus 3rd-century BC Roman general and statesman -299–-246 · Antiquity
  19. 19 Marcus Manilius Marcus Manilius Ancient Roman astrologer -50–50 · Antiquity
  20. 20 Marcus Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus Nephew of Roman emperor Augustus -42–-23 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Marcus, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Marcus?

The median living Marcus is about 35 years old. Half of all living Marcuss are between 22 and 46 years old.

How many people named Marcus are alive today?

An estimated 221 thousand people named Marcus are alive in the United States, based on 242,999 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Marcus mean?

Marcus is a masculine given name of Ancient Roman pre-Christian origin derived either from Etruscan Marce of unknown meaning or referring to the god Mars.

How popular is the name Marcus in 2025?

Marcus ranked #258 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,341 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marcus?

242,999 babies have been named Marcus in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marcus most popular?

Marcus peaked in 1984, when 6,060 newborns received the name.

Is Marcus a boy or girl name?

Marcus is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Marcus rising or falling?

Marcus is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Marcus become more popular?

Marcus is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 1,177 boys named Marcus in 2030, which would rank around #288. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Marcus?

Well-known people named Marcus include Marcus Aurelius (politician), Marcus Garvey (writer), Marcus Licinius Crassus (politician).

Names like Marcus

Names that sound and feel close to Marcus: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Marcus with similar names → More names starting with M →