Mareka
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Greek or Native American.
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Mareka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mareka today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mareka births was 1991 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mareka. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mareka. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1991
8 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2000 SSA rank
#16,632
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Mareka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mareka from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Mareka remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mareka by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mareka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mareka
The name Mareka has its origins in the ancient Slavic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Proto-Slavic word "mareka," which means "seashell" or "pearl." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals born near coastal regions or whose families had ties to maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mareka can be found in the Novgorod Codex, a collection of medieval Slavic manuscripts dating back to the 11th century. In these texts, the name is mentioned in connection with various historical figures and events, indicating its usage among the Slavic peoples during that era.
Mareka gained prominence in the 13th century when a noblewoman bearing this name played a significant role in the defense of the city of Pskov against invading forces. Her bravery and leadership during the siege earned her a place in the annals of Pskovian history, and her name became associated with courage and resilience.
In the 16th century, a renowned Russian iconographer named Mareka Fyodorova gained recognition for her exquisite religious artworks, which adorned numerous churches and monasteries across the Russian lands. Her intricate depictions of religious scenes and figures have been celebrated as masterpieces of Eastern Orthodox iconography.
Another notable figure with the name Mareka was a Polish scholar and linguist, Mareka Szymonowicz, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Szymonowicz contributed significantly to the development of the Polish language, publishing numerous works on grammar, poetry, and literature.
In the 19th century, Mareka Kuczyńska, a Polish artist and educator, made a lasting impact on the art world with her vibrant and expressive paintings. Her works, which often depicted scenes from rural life and the Polish countryside, are now celebrated as important examples of the Polish Realist movement.
Throughout history, the name Mareka has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, nobility, and historical figures, reflecting its enduring presence across different cultures and time periods.
People
Mareka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mareka as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mareka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mareka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mareka going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Mareka a common name?
We classify Mareka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 40 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mareka most popular?
The single biggest year for Mareka was 1991, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mareka is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mareka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mareka in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.