Total births
241,657
Boys' name · since 1880
Marcus
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 241,657 babies named Marcus, peaking in 1984. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #256
- among boys today
- 241,657
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Marcus is the #256 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 241,657 recorded since 1880.
Marcus has 241,657 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #256 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #256 among boys today
- 241,657 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marcus is currently the #256 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 241,657 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #256
- among boys today
- 241,657
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Marcus vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#256
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Marcus was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
5,996 babies were named Marcus in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
How Marcus compares
241,657 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Marcus's all-time total is 658x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marcus | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 241,657 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,996 | 23 | 22,252 |
Marcus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Marcus splits its recorded history at 1953: 94% of all births land in the more recent half, 6% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1887 (23 births) -- compare that against the 1984 peak of 5,996 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Marcus at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1984
Current rank
#256
Active since
1880
Marcus popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 5,996
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Marcus popularity over time - girls
1,342 total births recorded since 1917 (Marcus as girls' name)
Marcus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Marcus's strongest decade.
51,807 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Marcus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 424
1880s
424 births
- 1890s 405
1890s
405 births
- 1900s 482
1900s
482 births
- 1910s 2,051
1910s
2,051 births
- 1920s 3,029
1920s
3,029 births
- 1930s 2,298
1930s
2,298 births
- 1940s 3,266
1940s
3,266 births
- 1950s 8,694
1950s
8,694 births
- 1960s 14,545
1960s
14,545 births
- 1970s
1970s
39,464 births
- 1980s
1980s
51,807 births
- 1990s
1990s
46,497 births
- 2000s
2000s
35,673 births
- 2010s
2010s
24,143 births
- 2020s 8,879
2020s
8,879 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 51,807 births (21% of all-time use).
How Marcus compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Marcus's total volume
Marcus vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Marcus by state
Where Marcus concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 23,675 | 9.8% |
| #2 | California | | 23,428 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 12,012 | 5.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 11,783 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Florida | | 11,670 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 11,372 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 9,575 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 8,703 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Marcus's total US births 9.8%
Even split
23,675 of 241,657 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Marcus appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marcus? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 241,657 babies named Marcus. Today it holds rank #256 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1984, with 5,996 births.
When was Marcus most popular? ▼
Marcus was most popular in the 1980s decade with 51,807 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Marcus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marcus are Texas (23,675 births), California (23,428 births), Illinois (12,012 births).
How long has the name Marcus been used? ▼
Records for Marcus go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marcus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Mario, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Marcus's data
- Marcus's decade-level peak was the 1980s (51,807 total births); usage has since declined to 8,879 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Marcuss (23,675 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marcus
Nearby Names Like Marcus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marcus
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Mario Boy
#398 151,310 births
Marc Boy
#1194 140,604 births
Compare Marcus side by side: Marcus vs Mark Marcus vs Martin Marcus vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marcus
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marcus: #256 Boys' Name - 241,657 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marcus. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Marcus draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.