How to say it
MARK
/mɑrk/
Masculine
Mark
Of Mars, warlike
What it means
From Latin Marcus, derived from Mars, the Roman god of war. Saint Mark the Evangelist (author of the second Gospel) is the dominant Christian anchor; his symbol is the winged lion of Venice.
Mark comes from the Latin Marcus, traditionally derived from Mars, the Roman god of war ('of Mars, warlike'). Saint Mark the Evangelist was the author of the second Gospel (and traditionally Peter's interpreter); his symbol is the winged lion, which became the emblem of Venice (where his relics are housed at Saint Mark's Basilica). The English Mark has been a top-100 name for most of the 20th century; it peaked in the 1960s and is sliding now. Mark Twain, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Hamill, and Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg) cover four very different eras. The short Marky is rare; most Marks keep the full single syllable.
Popularity over time
peaked at #6 in 1959, currently #245 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) is the deepest American literary anchor; Mark Wahlberg, Mark Hamill, and Mark Zuckerberg each carry weight in their own generation.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Mark the Evangelist Author of the second Gospel, his winged-lion symbol the emblem of Venice
- Mark Twain Pen name of Samuel Clemens, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
- Mark Hamill American actor, Luke Skywalker in Star Wars
Spelling variants
- Marcus
- Marco
- Marc
Names with the same feeling
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