Mark

MAHRK

The name Mark descends from the Latin Marcus, 1 of the most common praenomina of ancient Rome.

US Rank

No. 246

Births

1,437

Peak Year

1960

The accepted etymology links it to the Roman war god Mars, via an older form Mavors, and ultimately to a Proto-Italic root *mawort- of uncertain pre-Roman origin.

The sense is therefore “of Mars” or “dedicated to Mars,” fitting for a culture that opened its campaign season in the month named for the same god. The Greek form Markos (Μάρκος) served as a loanword throughout the eastern Mediterranean.

What the name Mark means

The name’s Christian prominence rests on Saint Mark the Evangelist, traditionally identified as the author of the second Gospel and a disciple of Peter.

Early tradition, preserved by Eusebius, places him as the founder of the Church of Alexandria and its first bishop, martyred around 68 CE.

His symbol, the winged lion, became the emblem of Venice, which claims his relics in the Basilica di San Marco, consecrated in 1094. His feast day is April 25.

Roman statesmen and writers named Marcus include Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), Marcus Aurelius (121-180) and his Meditations, and Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony).

Literary bearers range from the protagonist of the Arthurian Tristan and Iseult, King Mark of Cornwall, to Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens, author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).

U.S. Social Security records place Mark in the top 100 continuously from 1900 through 2000, peaking at rank 6 in 1955 and 1956, when it trailed only Michael, James, Robert, John, and David.

More than 4 million American boys received the name during the twentieth century. The name has gently declined since the 1980s, settling around rank 200 in recent years.

Contemporary bearers include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, actor Mark Ruffalo, astronaut Mark Kelly, and musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. Variants include the Italian Marco, Spanish Marcos, Russian Mark (Марк), and French Marc.