Marquitta
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly French or Spanish.
Name Census estimates that about 1,071 living Americans carry the first name Marquitta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Marquitta today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marquitta births was 1983 (138 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marquitta. 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.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 320,032 Americans
Peak year
1983
138 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
2005 SSA rank
#18,201
Tracked since 1938
Popularity
Marquitta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marquitta from the 1930s through to the 2000s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 591 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marquitta 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 Marquitta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marquittas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Illinois, Georgia, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Marquitta, while New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marquitta
The name Marquitta finds its origins in the Spanish language, derived from the Latin word "marquis," meaning a nobleman or lord. It is a feminine variant of the masculine name Marquis, which was initially used as a title of nobility in various European countries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Marquitta can be traced back to the 16th century in Spain, where it was likely given to daughters of noble families or those associated with the aristocracy. However, its popularity spread beyond the confines of nobility, and it became a common name among Spanish-speaking communities.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Marquitta was Marquitta de Carvajal, a Spanish noblewoman born in the late 15th century. She was a prominent figure in the court of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, known for her involvement in the Spanish Inquisition.
In the 17th century, Marquitta de la Cruz was a notable Spanish nun and mystic who founded the Order of the Immaculate Conception in Seville, Spain. Her writings and teachings on spirituality and devotion to the Virgin Mary became influential within the Catholic Church.
During the 18th century, Marquitta de la Garza y Falcón was a wealthy landowner and rancher in what is now the state of Texas, USA. She inherited vast swaths of land and played a significant role in the development of the region during the Spanish colonial era.
In the 19th century, Marquitta Gonzalez was a Cuban writer and poet known for her contributions to the literary movement of Romanticism. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the struggles of women in society.
Another notable figure was Marquitta Erskine, an American philanthropist and social reformer born in 1868. She was actively involved in various charitable organizations and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of underprivileged communities in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Throughout history, the name Marquitta has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and enduring appeal across various regions and time periods.
People
Marquitta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marquitta 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
Marquitta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marquitta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,071 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marquitta 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 320,032 US residents.
Is Marquitta a common name?
We classify Marquitta as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marquitta most popular?
The single biggest year for Marquitta was 1983, when 138 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marquitta is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marquitta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marquitta 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.