The name Marci is a feminine given name derived from the Roman name Marcus, which itself has origins in the Etruscan language and culture of ancient Italy. Marcus was a common Roman praenomen, or personal name, and it is thought to be related to the Roman god Mars, the god of war.

Marcus was a popular name among the ancient Romans, and it was borne by several notable historical figures, including the Roman poet and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, who lived from 121 to 180 AD and served as Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Another famous bearer of the name was Marcus Tullius Cicero, the renowned Roman statesman, orator, and philosopher, who lived from 106 to 43 BC.

The feminine form Marci emerged as a variant of Marcus, likely during the Middle Ages or Renaissance period in Europe. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Marci was Marci de Ganges, a 13th-century French noblewoman and the wife of Gaucher de Châtillon, a prominent knight and crusader.

In the 16th century, Marci was the name of an Italian scholar and historian, Marci Antonio Sabellico, who lived from 1436 to 1506 and wrote extensively about the history of Venice and the Republic of Venice. Another notable bearer of the name was Marci Marnavitio, a 16th-century Italian poet and writer from Venice.

In more recent history, Marci was the name of Marci McDonald, an American author and journalist who was born in 1957 and is best known for her investigative reporting on the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandals. Additionally, Marci Lyn Klein was an American actress and singer who lived from 1935 to 2005 and had a successful career in television and on Broadway.

While the name Marci is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and has been borne by notable figures across various fields, including literature, history, and the arts.