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