Find out how popular the last name Marcos is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Marcos.

Marcos, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Marcos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marcos in America

Marcos is the 6688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marcos surname appeared 5,052 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Marcos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marcos to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Marcos

The surname Marcos is of Spanish origin, derived from the Latin name Marcus, which itself is derived from the Roman god Mars. The name can be traced back to the early days of the Roman Empire, and it was initially used as a first name before becoming a common surname in Spain.

During the Middle Ages, the name Marcos was widely used in Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia, Castile, and Aragon. It was often associated with families of noble or military lineage, as the name was linked to the Roman god of war.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Marcos can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento, a medieval document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the newly conquered territories of Seville and its surroundings after the Reconquista in the 13th century. Several individuals with the surname Marcos are listed in this document, indicating the presence of the name in southern Spain during that time period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Fernán Marcos is mentioned in historical records as a Spanish explorer and navigator who was involved in the early exploration of the Canary Islands. His expeditions to the islands in the 1340s and 1350s paved the way for future Spanish colonization efforts in the region.

During the 16th century, the surname Marcos gained further prominence with the birth of Fray Marcos de Niza (c. 1495-1558), a Franciscan friar and explorer from Nice, France, who is best known for his exploration of the American Southwest and his reports of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, which sparked interest in further exploration of the region.

Another notable figure with the surname Marcos was Diego Marcos Doporto (1542-1619), a Spanish philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics and was highly regarded for his teachings at the University of Salamanca.

In the 18th century, José Marcos de Navarrete (1719-1784) was a Spanish naval officer and cartographer who played a crucial role in the development of maritime navigation and the creation of accurate maps and charts for the Spanish Navy.

Throughout history, the surname Marcos has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, philosophers, theologians, and military figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marcos

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Marcos.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Marcos was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Marcos has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Marcos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Marcos, please contact us.

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