| Marcus | Martin | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of Mars | Of Mars / warlike |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | MAR-kus | MAR-tin |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1984 (5,996) | 1963 (6,073) |
| In 2025 | 1,341 | 1,009 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Marcus | Martin |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,879 | 6,645 |
| 2010s | 24,143 | 13,356 |
| 2000s | 35,673 | 18,762 |
| 1990s | 46,497 | 25,331 |
| 1980s | 51,807 | 23,226 |
| 1970s | 39,464 | 24,267 |
| 1960s | 14,545 | 49,116 |
| 1950s | 8,694 | 50,994 |
| 1940s | 3,266 | 31,402 |
| 1930s | 2,298 | 21,927 |
| 1920s | 3,029 | 24,243 |
| 1910s | 2,051 | 16,097 |
| 1900s | 482 | 3,346 |
| 1890s | 405 | 3,254 |
| 1880s | 424 | 3,595 |
A Roman praenomen derived from Mars, the Roman god of war; the association is explicitly warlike. The underlying root is otherwise uncertain.
From Latin Martinus, a derivative of Mars, the Roman god of war, so carrying a 'warlike' sense. Popularized by the soldier-saint Martin of Tours.
Marcus is more popular than Martin today: about 1,341 US babies were given the name Marcus in 2025, compared with 1,009 named Martin.
Marcus means Of Mars (latin origin), while Martin means Of Mars / warlike (latin origin).
In US records, Marcus first appears in 1880 and Martin in 1880, so Marcus has the longer recorded history.