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The short answer
Marcus is a masculine name used in Ancient Roman and Biblical Latin. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from the name of the Roman god Mars. This was among the most popular of the Roman praenomina." It ranked #258 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably derived from the name of the Roman god Mars. This was among the most popular of the Roman praenomina. The entry lists its usage as Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin, English, Swedish and others.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Marcus ranked #258 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #258 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Ancient Roman) and that sit near Marcus in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Marcus mean?
Behind the Name does not give Marcus a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: roman praenomen, or given name, that was probably.
Is Marcus a popular name?
Marcus ranked #258 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Marcus a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Marcus appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Marcus — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
