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

Markarian, 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 Markarian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Markarian in America

Markarian is the 16254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Markarian surname appeared 1,775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Markarian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Markarian 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 Markarian

The surname Markarian originated in Armenia, with records indicating its use as early as the 15th century. Its roots can be traced back to the Armenian word "markara," meaning "teacher" or "scholar." This suggests that the name may have initially been applied to individuals who pursued academic or educational professions.

One of the earliest known references to the Markarian name can be found in a 16th-century Armenian manuscript that documented the lives of prominent scholars and clergymen. The manuscript mentions a certain Hovhannes Markarian, who served as a teacher and scribe in a monastery located in the historical Armenian region of Vaspurakan.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Markarian name gained prominence among Armenian communities in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, including Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and Smyrna (modern-day Izmir). Notable figures from this period include Sahak Markarian (1640-1711), a renowned calligrapher and illuminator of Armenian manuscripts, and Khachatur Markarian (1702-1779), a respected philosopher and theologian.

As Armenians began to migrate to other parts of the world in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Markarian surname spread to various countries. One notable individual was Boghos Markarian (1879-1957), an Armenian-American artist and sculptor who contributed to the design of several public monuments in the United States.

In the 20th century, the Markarian name gained further recognition with the rise of Karapet Markarian (1913-1988), an Armenian physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of astrophysics. He served as the director of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory in Soviet Armenia and was a member of the Armenian Academy of Sciences.

Another prominent figure was Aleksandr Markarian (1920-1998), a Soviet-Armenian cellist and conductor who achieved international acclaim for his interpretations of classical and contemporary works. He served as the principal cellist of the USSR State Symphony Orchestra and later became the artistic director of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

It is worth noting that variations of the Markarian surname, such as Margaryan or Markarian-Petrosian, have also been documented throughout history, reflecting the fluid nature of Armenian naming conventions and the influence of regional dialects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Markarian

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

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 Markarian 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 Markarian 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 Markarian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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