2000
#8,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,572
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Markus
Derived from the Latin name "Marcus," meaning "of Mars" or "warlike," originally referring to a person from Mars.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,996 Americans carry the last name Markus. That puts it at #9,010 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,774 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markus 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 Markus with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,774
Census rank
#9,010
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,485 bearers of the surname Markus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9010th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markus, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markus
The surname Markus is derived from the Latin name Marcus, which itself is derived from the Roman name Mars, the god of war. The name originated in ancient Rome and later spread throughout Europe during the Roman Empire's expansion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Markus can be traced back to the 5th century AD in various Germanic regions of Europe. It was commonly used as a first name during this period and eventually evolved into a surname in some areas.
In the Middle Ages, the name Markus was particularly prevalent in regions of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It appeared in several historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval Saxon documents from the 9th to the 13th centuries.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Markus was Johannes Markus, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 15th century (c. 1435-1506). He is known for his contributions to the development of the Ephemerides, a critical astronomical work of the time.
Another notable figure was Georg Markus, a German theologian and reformer who lived during the 16th century (c. 1510-1574). He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, the name Markus was particularly prominent in the city of Nuremberg, Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Paul Markus (1638-1692), a prominent Baroque painter and engraver known for his religious works.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Johann Gottfried Markus (1717-1784), a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname Markus was Adolph Markus (1838-1904), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Markus Spiegel Company, one of the earliest mail-order businesses in the United States.
While the surname Markus has its roots in ancient Rome and the Latin language, it has been widely adopted and used throughout Europe, particularly in German-speaking regions, over the course of many centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markus
Among Census respondents with the surname Markus, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Markus 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 Markus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 3,153
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 74
- Two or more races2.1% · 74
- Black or African American0.9% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markus
Markus 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
#8,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,649
+77 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 471 places
2020
#9,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,485
-164 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,497 | 3,572 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,968 | 3,649 | 1.24 | +77 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 471 places |
| 2020 | #9,010 | 3,485 | 1.17 | -164 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 42 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 Markus 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 | #8,968 | #9,010 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,649 | 3,485 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.17 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markus bearers went from 3,649 to 3,485 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,968 to #9,010.
FAQ
Markus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markus?
Name Census estimates that about 3,996 living Americans carry the surname Markus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,774 residents.
How common is Markus?
Markus ranks #9,010 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,485 people with the surname Markus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Markus.
Has Markus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markus went from 3,649 recorded bearers to 3,485. That is a decrease of 164 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,968 to #9,010.
What does the Census say about the background of Markus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markus, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Markus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (3,153 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Markus (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 Markus mean?
Derived from the Latin name "Marcus," meaning "of Mars" or "warlike," originally referring to a person from 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 Markus (1.17 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 Markus?
You can see how common the surname Markus is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.