Markeys
A Dutch origin name meaning "belonging to the Markey family".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Markeys. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Markeys today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Markeys births was 1990 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Markeys. 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 Markeys. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1990
5 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1990 SSA rank
#9,005
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Markeys: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Markeys 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 Markeys during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Markeys
The given name Markeys is an ancient moniker that can trace its roots back to the early civilizations of Mesopotamia. It is derived from the Akkadian word "markaz," which means "center" or "heart." The name was widely used among the Assyrian and Babylonian peoples as a symbol of strength, courage, and resilience, traits that were highly valued in these ancient warrior cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Markeys can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia that dates back to around 2500 BCE. In this literary masterpiece, Markeys is mentioned as a brave warrior who accompanies the protagonist, Gilgamesh, on his heroic adventures.
During the reign of the Babylonian Empire, which spanned from the 18th to the 6th century BCE, the name Markeys gained significant popularity. Several prominent figures from this era bore the name, including Markeys the Scribe, a renowned scholar and writer who lived during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II.
As civilizations and cultures evolved, the name Markeys spread to various regions and underwent slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In ancient Greece, for instance, the name was transliterated as "Markos," and it was borne by several notable individuals, such as Markos of Athens, a renowned philosopher who lived in the 5th century BCE.
In the realm of religious history, the name Markeys has also left its mark. One of the early Christian saints, Saint Markeys the Evangelist, who lived in the 1st century CE, is believed to have been instrumental in spreading Christianity throughout North Africa. His relics are said to be enshrined in the famous St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Markeys continued to be popular among various European cultures. Notable bearers of the name include Markeys Polo, the famous Venetian explorer who introduced Europe to the marvels of the Far East in the 13th century, and Markeys Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher who ruled from 161 to 180 CE.
In more recent times, the name Markeys has been carried by several influential figures, such as Markeys Twain, the renowned American author and humorist who lived from 1835 to 1910, and Markeys Ruffalo, the acclaimed American actor known for his roles in films like "The Avengers" and "Spotlight."
People
Markeys + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Markeys 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
Markeys: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Markeys?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Markeys 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Markeys a common name?
We classify Markeys as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Markeys most popular?
The single biggest year for Markeys was 1990, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Markeys is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Markeys in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Markeys a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Markeys in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Markeys still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Markeys in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Markeys can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Markeys?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.