Mark

Where the name comes from

• Latin (via New Testament Greek Μᾶρκος, Markos)
  From the Roman first name Marcus; the deeper meaning is uncertain (possibly from Mars, the Roman god of war, or from Etruscan Marce, of unknown meaning)
  Latin Marcus (Roman praenomen)
  Origin uncertain beyond the Latin name. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources: Marcus is “a praenomen derived either from Latin Mars, the name of a god, or Etruscan Marce, of unknown meaning.” The Online Etymology Dictionary says it is only “traditionally said to be related to Mars.” Strong’s Concordance calls the Greek Markos “of Latin origin.” The name is a separate word from the English noun “mark” (Old English mearc).

Mark across traditions

• Roman. Marcus was a Roman praenomen (first name).
• Christian (New Testament). Church tradition names Mark as the author of the second Gospel. He is identified with the John Mark of Acts: son of a Mary of Jerusalem, cousin of Barnabas, companion of Paul, and later an associate of Peter, who calls him his “son” (1 Peter 5:13).
• Egyptian (Alexandria). In the tradition retold by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Mark traveled from Italy to Egypt and became the first bishop of Alexandria, where he was martyred.
• Venetian. In 828, two Venetian merchants took the Evangelist’s relics from Alexandria to Venice, and Mark replaced Theodore as the city’s patron saint.
• European. Medieval records show Marco (Italian), Marcos (Spanish), Marc (French), March (Catalan), Markus and Marx (German-speaking lands), and Marcus in Danish, Dutch and Swedish use.
• United States (SSA). 1,387,544 combined births in the SSA decade tables, 1950s–2010s (Mark 1,281,862 + Marc 105,682). Peak decade: the 1960s (472,765 births), when Mark ranked #6 among boys; Mark was #9 in the 1950s. Top 100 in every decade from the 1950s through the 1990s; #190 in the 2010s.

Who carried it

• Mark the Evangelist (John Mark) (Apostolic age (New Testament)): By church tradition the author of the second Gospel; remembered as first bishop of Alexandria; relics taken to Venice in 828

Forms in other languages

Marc, Marcus, Marco, Marcos, Markus, Marx, March, Markos

Mark in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.