Markwilliam
A compound masculine name combining the Germanic elements "mark" (territory) and "will" (desire).
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Markwilliam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Markwilliam today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Markwilliam births was 1995 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Markwilliam. 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 Markwilliam. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1995
5 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1995 SSA rank
#9,779
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Markwilliam: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam
The given name Markwilliam is an unusual combination of two separate names - Mark and William. It does not appear to have a single linguistic or cultural origin, but rather seems to be a modern invention, likely created by combining the two more common names.
Mark is a name with roots in ancient Roman culture, derived from the Roman praenomen Marcus. It was a common name among the ancient Romans and has been used continuously throughout history in various forms across Europe. Some notable historical figures named Mark include the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis (circa 40-104 AD) and the Christian evangelist Mark the Evangelist (1st century AD).
William, on the other hand, is a Germanic name that originated from the Old German name Willahelm, which means "will helmet" or "resolute protector." It became popular in medieval Europe, particularly in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some famous historical figures named William include William the Conqueror (1028-1087), the first Norman king of England, and William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the renowned English playwright and poet.
As for the combined name Markwilliam, there are no records of it being used extensively throughout history. It is possible that it was created as a unique name in more recent times by combining the two traditional names. However, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name:
1. Markwilliam Howard (1854-1922), an English businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tottenham from 1892 to 1900.
2. Markwilliam Emerson (1860-1927), an American author and poet known for his works on transcendentalism and nature.
3. Markwilliam Stevenson (1872-1944), a Scottish painter and artist known for his landscape paintings of rural Scotland.
4. Markwilliam Cunningham (1885-1962), an Australian cricketer who played for the national team in the early 20th century.
5. Markwilliam Johnson (1901-1980), an American civil rights activist and leader who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement.
While the name Markwilliam is uncommon, these historical figures demonstrate that it has been used as a unique combination of two traditional names throughout the past few centuries.
People
Markwilliam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Markwilliam 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
Markwilliam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Markwilliam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam a common name?
We classify Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam most popular?
The single biggest year for Markwilliam was 1995, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Markwilliam is about 30 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 Markwilliam in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Markwilliam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Markwilliam 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 Markwilliam 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 many Americans are named Markwilliam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.