2000
#9,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,263
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Marcos
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Marco, which originated from the Roman god of war, Mars.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,035 Americans carry the last name Marcos. That puts it at #6,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marcos surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marcos with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,794
Census rank
#6,234
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,263 bearers of the surname Marcos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and White (15.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marcos
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and White (15.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Marcos bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marcos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino65.0% · 3,423
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.2% · 852
- White15.6% · 819
- Black or African American1.7% · 89
- Two or more races1.3% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marcos
Marcos appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,052
+1,789 bearers (+54.8%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 2,504 places
2020
#6,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,263
+211 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Up 454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,192 | 3,263 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,688 | 5,052 | 1.71 | +1,789 bearers (+54.8%) | Up 2,504 places |
| 2020 | #6,234 | 5,263 | 1.76 | +211 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 454 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marcos surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,688 | #6,234 | 6.8% |
| Count | 5,052 | 5,263 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.76 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marcos bearers went from 5,052 to 5,263 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 454 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,688 to #6,234.
FAQ
Marcos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marcos?
Name Census estimates that about 6,035 living Americans carry the surname Marcos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,794 residents.
How common is Marcos?
Marcos ranks #6,234 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,263 people with the surname Marcos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Marcos.
Has Marcos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marcos went from 5,052 recorded bearers to 5,263. That is an increase of 211 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,688 to #6,234.
What does the Census say about the background of Marcos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and White (15.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marcos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (3,423 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marcos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (65.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%), White (15.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marcos (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marcos mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Marco, which originated from the Roman god of war, Mars. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marcos (1.76 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Marcos?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Marcos is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.