2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Marky
An Anglicized form of the German surname Markey, derived from the personal name Mark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Marky. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marky 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Marky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marky, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marky
The surname Marky is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mearc" and "ey," which together mean "boundary island" or "borderland." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to people who lived in an area near a border or along the edges of a settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marky can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1189, where a person named Gaufridus de Merkeye is mentioned. The spelling variation "Merkeye" reflects the name's evolution over time and its connection to the Old English root words.
In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1274 list a Walter de Markye, indicating the name's presence in that region during the medieval period. Another early reference comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which mention a John Merky, further demonstrating the name's regional variations in spelling.
The name Marky has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Markyate in Hertfordshire, which was recorded as "Merkyate" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection suggests that the surname may have been derived from a particular location or area where the name-bearers resided.
Notable historical figures with the surname Marky include:
1. William Marky (c. 1495 - 1558), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. John Marky (c. 1520 - 1586), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London during the Elizabethan era.
3. Elizabeth Marky (c. 1570 - 1634), an English writer and translator known for her work on religious texts.
4. Thomas Marky (c. 1625 - 1692), a Presbyterian minister and author who served in various parishes in England and Scotland.
5. Robert Marky (c. 1680 - 1745), an English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.
While the surname Marky may have evolved over time and taken on different spellings across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the concept of a boundary or borderland. The name has been documented in historical records for centuries, reflecting its enduring presence in English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marky
Among Census respondents with the surname Marky, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Marky 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 Marky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino13.4% · 13
- Two or more races3.1% · 3
- Black or African American2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marky
Marky 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 23,197 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-6 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 785 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 23,197 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.8%) | Up 785 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 Marky 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 | #157,234 | #156,449 | 0.5% |
| Count | 103 | 97 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marky bearers went from 103 to 97 (-5.8% change). The surname moved up 785 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,449.
FAQ
Marky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marky?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Marky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Marky?
Marky ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Marky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Marky.
Has Marky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marky went from 103 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Marky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marky, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Marky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Hispanic (13.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Marky (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 Marky mean?
An Anglicized form of the German surname Markey, derived from the personal name Mark. 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 Marky (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Marky?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.