Mark: Name Meaning, Origin, & Popularity

Boy name origins & meanings

What does Mark mean and stand for?

Meaning:

Latin: Warlike; dedicated to Mars

Gender: Male

Syllables: 1

Pronunciation: The name Mark is pronounced mark

The name Mark has Latin origins, derived from Roman name Marcus, which is related to Mars, the Roman god of war. It has been used as a given name since ancient Roman times and continues to be a popular choice across various cultures. In English-speaking countries, Mark is often associated with strong, dedicated individuals.

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

English and Dutch: from Latin Marcus, the personal name of St. Mark the Evangelist, author of the second Gospel. The name was borne also by a number of other early Christian saints. Marcus was an old Roman name, of uncertain (possibly non-Italic) etymology; it may have some connection with the name of the war god Mars. Compare Martin. The personal name was not as popular in England in the Middle Ages as it was on the Continent, especially in Italy, where the evangelist became the patron of Venice and the Venetian Republic, and was allegedly buried at Aquileia. As an American family name, this has absorbed cognate and similar names from other European languages, including Greek Markos and Slavic Marek.

English, German, and Dutch (van der Mark): topographic name for someone who lived on a boundary between two districts, from Middle English merke, Middle High German marc, Middle Dutch marke, merke, all meaning "borderland." The German term also denotes an area of fenced-off land (see Marker 5) and, like the English word, is embodied in various place names which have given rise to habitational names.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Marck, Pas-de-Calais.

German: from Marko, a short form of any of the Germanic compound personal names formed with mark "borderland" as the first element, for example Markwardt.

American: Americanization or shortened form of any of several like-sounding Jewish or Slavic surnames (see for example Markow, Markowitz, Markovich).

Irish (Northeastern Ulster): probably a short form of Markey (when not of English origin).

Famous people with this first name

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Michael Landon

Mark in Pop Culture

Do you know these fictional characters that share this first name?

Mark Watney from The Martian - The protagonist and stranded astronaut who uses his engineering and botanical skills to survive on Mars.
Mark Sloan from Grey's Anatomy - A talented plastic surgeon known as "McSteamy" who has a complicated love life and deep friendships.
Mark Cohen from Rent - An aspiring filmmaker and narrator of the musical, documenting the struggles and lives of his friends in New York City.
Mark Corrigan from Peep Show - A socially awkward and neurotic office worker, known for his internal monologues and struggles with modern life.
Mark Brendanawicz from Parks and Recreation - A city planner in Pawnee who has a romantic history with several of his co-workers.

Popularity of the Name Mark

According to Social Security Administration data, Mark has seen fluctuating popularity over the years, but it remained a classic choice.

Historically, Mark ranked highly in the U.S., often appearing in the top 50 names for several decades. Some of the most notable individuals named Mark include Mark Twain, the famous American writer best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In addition, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, has brought contemporary relevance to the name. Fictional characters named Mark can be found in various media, including the character Mark Brendanawicz from the TV series Parks and Recreation and Mark Watney from the novel and film The Martian. The name continues to be a strong, timeless choice for boys.