Marc first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Marc has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Marc

A masculine name derived from the Roman name Marcus.

Popularity of Marc by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Marc is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Marc being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 191 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Marc.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 191 0
2022 195 0
2021 217 0
2020 182 0
2019 220 0
2018 268 0
2017 298 0
2016 356 0
2015 377 0
2014 411 0
2013 376 0
2012 419 0
2011 438 0
2010 436 0
2009 471 0
2008 609 0
2007 632 0
2006 727 0
2005 759 0
2004 899 0
2003 919 0
2002 1,069 0
2001 1,245 0
2000 1,485 10
1999 1,369 0
1998 1,290 0
1997 1,336 6
1996 1,292 0
1995 1,335 0
1994 1,354 5
1993 1,404 7
1992 1,448 7
1991 1,581 0
1990 1,903 7
1989 1,893 9
1988 1,873 11
1987 1,967 13
1986 2,032 19
1985 2,160 21
1984 2,103 22
1983 2,090 16
1982 2,044 10
1981 2,048 12
1980 2,311 10
1979 2,266 14
1978 2,480 8
1977 2,605 12
1976 2,598 15
1975 2,822 16
1974 3,107 19

The history of the first name Marc

The name Marc has its origins in the ancient Roman culture, deriving from the name Marcus, which was a common praenomen (personal name) among Roman patrician families. The name is believed to have emerged from the Latin word "mas," meaning "male" or "masculine." Its earliest recorded use dates back to the Roman Republic period, around the 5th century BC.

Marcus was a prominent name in Roman history, borne by several notable figures. One of the most famous was Marcus Tullius Cicero, the renowned orator, philosopher, and statesman who lived from 106 BC to 43 BC. Another significant bearer of the name was Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher who reigned from 161 to 180 AD and authored the philosophical work "Meditations."

The name Marc gained popularity throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, likely due to the influence of the Christian martyr Saint Mark the Evangelist, whose name in Latin was Marcus. Saint Mark, one of the four Gospel writers, is believed to have lived in the 1st century AD and is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.

In the 12th century, Marc became a popular name among the Normans, who had a strong presence in England and parts of France. One notable bearer of the name from this era was Marc Antony de Gernes, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

During the Renaissance period, the name Marc was particularly popular in Italy, where it was often associated with artistic and intellectual circles. One of the most renowned figures of this era bearing the name was Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant and explorer who traveled to China and introduced Europeans to the lands of the East in the late 13th century.

Other notable historical figures named Marc include Marc Chagall, the Russian-French artist and pioneer of modernism who lived from 1887 to 1985, and Marc Bloch, the French historian and co-founder of the Annales School of historical analysis, who lived from 1886 to 1944.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Marc was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Marc, please contact us.

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"Marc first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/marc-meaning-and-history/.

"Marc first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/marc-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Marc first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/marc-meaning-and-history/.

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