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

Marx, 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 Marx surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marx in America

Marx is the 3062nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marx surname appeared 11,716 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Marx.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marx 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 Marx

The surname MARX is of German origin, deriving from the Latin name Marcus, which in turn originated from the Roman god of war, Mars. The name first appeared in the 9th century in the region that is now modern-day Germany.

MARX is thought to have evolved from the Old German word "marc," meaning boundary or frontier. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a boundary or border area. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked as a boundary guard or marker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MARX dates back to the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon documents from the 12th century. The name is listed as "Marcvs" in this text.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hirsauer Codex, a manuscript from the Hirsau Abbey in the Black Forest region of Germany, written as "Marcvs."

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname MARX, as it was primarily focused on documenting landowners and their holdings.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname MARX was Johann Marx, a German theologian and reformer born in 1491 in Nuremberg, Germany. He was a supporter of Martin Luther and played a role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure was the philosopher and economist Karl Marx, born in 1818 in Trier, Prussia (now part of Germany). He is best known for his influential works on socialism and communism, such as "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto."

In the 19th century, the MARX surname was also associated with the Marx Brothers, a famous group of American comedians and entertainers, including Chico Marx (born 1887), Harpo Marx (born 1888), Groucho Marx (born 1890), and Zeppo Marx (born 1901).

The name MARX has also been connected to various place names in Germany, such as the town of Marxheim in Bavaria and the village of Marx in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Throughout history, other individuals with the surname MARX have made significant contributions in various fields, including the German composer Adolf Bernhard Marx (1795-1866), known for his works on music theory and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marx

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

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

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

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