2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Markulis
A Lithuanian surname meaning little or young Markas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Markulis. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markulis 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Markulis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markulis
The surname Markulis is of Lithuanian origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Lithuanian personal name Markus, a variant of the Latin name Marcus, meaning "warlike" or "martial." The suffix "-ulis" is a diminutive form, suggesting a familial or patronymic connection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Markulis can be found in the archives of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where a certain Jonas Markulis is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Samogitia (now western Lithuania) in the late 16th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established among the Lithuanian nobility and gentry by that time.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and land registries across Lithuania, indicating its spread among the general population. Notable bearers of the name from this period include Motiejus Markulis (1620-1689), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Vilnius, who funded the construction of several churches and public buildings.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Markulis surname gained further prominence, with several distinguished individuals bearing the name. Andrius Markulis (1745-1821) was a renowned poet and translator, credited with introducing Lithuanian literature to the wider European audience. Ona Markulis (1785-1867) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing one of the first schools for girls in Kaunas.
In the 20th century, the name continued to be associated with notable figures in various fields. Antanas Markulis (1901-1983) was a celebrated painter and sculptor, known for his contributions to the Lithuanian modernist movement. Juozas Markulis (1912-1995) was a respected linguist and academic, whose work on Lithuanian dialects and etymology remains influential to this day.
Another notable bearer of the Markulis name was Jonas Markulis (1924-2004), a distinguished military officer who served in the Lithuanian resistance against Soviet occupation during World War II and later became a vocal advocate for Lithuanian independence.
While the Markulis surname is predominantly found in Lithuania and among Lithuanian diaspora communities around the world, it has also spread to other regions through migration and intermarriage. The name's rich history and enduring presence across generations reflect its deep roots in Lithuanian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markulis
Among Census respondents with the surname Markulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Markulis 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 Markulis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markulis
Markulis 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+20 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,196 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-9 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 10,196 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 10,316 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 Markulis 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 | #134,712 | #145,028 | -7.7% |
| Count | 125 | 116 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markulis bearers went from 125 to 116 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 10,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,028.
FAQ
Markulis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markulis?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Markulis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Markulis?
Markulis ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Markulis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Markulis.
Has Markulis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markulis went from 125 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Markulis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Markulis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markulis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Markulis (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 Markulis mean?
A Lithuanian surname meaning little or young Markas. 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 Markulis (0.04 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 share the surname Markulis?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.