The first name Mark
A boy’s name from Latin.
Pronounced /mɑɹk/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
From Middle English Mark, from the Latin praenomen (i.e. first name) Mārcus, derived from Mārs, the Roman god of war, originally Māvors, from Proto-Italic *Māwortis.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 156 boys were named Mark, making it the 294th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 1,222 births (#55).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Mark with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Mark at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,416 boys born in the United States were named Mark, the 245th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1960, when 58,727 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Mark in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Mark in Dutch too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Mark
- Marky
- Markie
Other spellings and forms
- Marq
Famous people named Mark
731 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Mark TwainAmerican author and humorist (1835–1910)
- Mark ZuckerbergAmerican Internet entrepreneur, born 1984
- Mark WahlbergAmerican actor (born 1971)
- Mark Carney24th prime minister of Canada since 2025
- Mark RuffaloAmerican actor (born 1967)
- Mark HamillAmerican actor (born 1951)
- Mark RothkoAmerican painter of Latvian-Jewish descent (1903–1970)
- Mark SpitzAmerican Olympic swimmer (born 1950)
- Mark WebberAustralian professional racing driver, born 1976
- Mark KnopflerBritish musician (born 1949)
- Mark van BommelDutch association football player and manager (born 1977)
- Mark StrongBritish actor (born 1963)
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Mark mean?
- From Middle English Mark, from the Latin praenomen (i.e. first name) Mārcus, derived from Mārs, the Roman god of war, originally Māvors, from Proto-Italic *Māwortis.
- What is the origin of the name Mark?
- From Middle English Mark, from the Latin praenomen (i.e. first name) Mārcus, derived from Mārs, the Roman god of war, originally Māvors, from Proto-Italic *Māwortis.
- How popular is the name Mark?
- In 2025, 156 boys born in England and Wales were named Mark, ranking 294th. Its peak was 1996, with 1,222 births.
- What are nicknames for Mark?
- Common nicknames for Mark include Marky, Markie.
- Is Mark a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,366,672 US babies named Mark since 1880 were boys.
- When was Mark most popular?
- 1960 in the United States, when 58,727 babies were named Mark, its highest rank at 6th.
- How do you pronounce Mark?
- Mark is /mɑɹk/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Mark?
- Marq.
- Is Mark also a surname?
- Yes. Mark is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.