2000
#7,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,362
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Markowitz
Jewish surname derived from the given name Mark, which is of Latin origin meaning "consecrated to the god Mars."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,966 Americans carry the last name Markowitz. That puts it at #7,420 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markowitz 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.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 69,020
Census rank
#7,420
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,331 bearers of the surname Markowitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7420th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markowitz
The surname Markowitz is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in Central and Eastern Europe. The name is derived from the Hebrew personal name "Mordechai," which means "little man" or "warrior" in Persian. It is believed that the surname originated as a patronymic, indicating that the bearer was the son or descendant of someone named Mordechai.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Markowitz can be found in the 16th-century Polish census records. During this time, the name was commonly spelled as "Markiewicz" or "Markowicz" in various Polish regions. In the 17th century, the name began appearing in German-speaking areas, where it was often rendered as "Markowitz" or "Markowits."
In the 18th century, the surname Markowitz was mentioned in several historical documents, including the Pinkas (records) of various Jewish communities in Galicia and the Pale of Settlement. One notable example is Yitzchak Markowitz, a prominent rabbi and author from the city of Berdichev, who lived from 1715 to 1788.
The 19th century saw the continued spread of the Markowitz surname across Eastern and Central Europe. Jacob Markowitz (1825-1884) was a well-known Jewish scholar and author from Vilna, while Shlomo Markowitz (1844-1915) was a renowned Hebrew poet and educator from Ukraine.
As the Jewish diaspora expanded, the name Markowitz also made its way to other parts of the world. In the early 20th century, Maurice Markowitz (1884-1956) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Markowitz Brothers furniture company in New York City.
Another notable figure with the surname Markowitz was Harry Markowitz (1927-), an American economist and Nobel laureate known for his pioneering work in modern portfolio theory. His contributions to the field of finance and investment management have had a lasting impact on financial theory and practice.
It is important to note that while the surname Markowitz has its origins in Eastern and Central Europe, it has since spread globally, with bearers of the name found in various parts of the world, including North America, South America, and Israel.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markowitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Markowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Markowitz 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 Markowitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 4,020
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 148
- Two or more races2.0% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 49
- Black or African American0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markowitz
Markowitz 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
#7,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,435
+73 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 435 places
2020
#7,420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,331
-104 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,073 | 4,362 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,508 | 4,435 | 1.50 | +73 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 435 places |
| 2020 | #7,420 | 4,331 | 1.45 | -104 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 88 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 Markowitz 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 | #7,508 | #7,420 | 1.2% |
| Count | 4,435 | 4,331 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.45 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markowitz bearers went from 4,435 to 4,331 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,508 to #7,420.
FAQ
Markowitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markowitz?
Name Census estimates that about 4,966 living Americans carry the surname Markowitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,020 residents.
How common is Markowitz?
Markowitz ranks #7,420 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,331 people with the surname Markowitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,966), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Markowitz.
Has Markowitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markowitz went from 4,435 recorded bearers to 4,331. That is a decrease of 104 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,508 to #7,420.
What does the Census say about the background of Markowitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markowitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Markowitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (4,020 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markowitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Markowitz (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 Markowitz mean?
Jewish surname derived from the given name Mark, which is of Latin origin meaning "consecrated to the god 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 Markowitz (1.45 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 many people have the surname Markowitz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.