Total births
14,947
Boys' name · since 1915
Markus
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 14,947 babies named Markus, peaking in 1994. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1221
- among boys today
- 14,947
- born since 1915
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
14,947 babies have been named Markus since 1915, making it today's #1221 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Markus recorded 14,947 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #1221 nationally today, ahead of 91% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #1221 among boys today
- 14,947 born since 1915
- 1990s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Markus is currently the #1221 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 14,947 born since 1915, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1221
- among boys today
- 14,947
- born since 1915
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Markus vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1221
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Markus was born in this single decade.
1994
Single peak year
396 babies were named Markus in 1994 - its busiest year on record.
How Markus compares
14,947 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Markus's all-time total is 41x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Markus | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,947 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 396 | 23 | 22,252 |
Markus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Markus's full recorded timeline at 1979, 85% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 15% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1930, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1994 peak of 396 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Markus at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1994
Current rank
#1,221
Active since
1915
Markus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1994)
- 396
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Markus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Markus's strongest decade.
3,487 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Markus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 16
1910s
16 births
- 1920s 56
1920s
56 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s 37
1940s
37 births
- 1950s 291
1950s
291 births
- 1960s 725
1960s
725 births
- 1970s 1,281
1970s
1,281 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,136 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,487 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,251 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,706 births
- 2020s 938
2020s
938 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,487 births (23% of all-time use).
How Markus 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 Markus's total volume
Markus vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Markus by state
Where Markus concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,787 | 12.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,170 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 725 | 4.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 702 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 651 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 601 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 529 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 382 | 2.6% |
California share of Markus's total US births 12.0%
Even split
1,787 of 14,947 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Markus appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Markus? ▼
Markus has been given to 14,947 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1221 as of the latest data. 396 babies were born in 1994, its single highest year.
When was Markus most popular? ▼
Markus was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,487 total births. The single peak year was 1994.
Where is Markus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Markus are California (1,787 births), Texas (1,170 births), Illinois (725 births).
How long has the name Markus been used? ▼
Records for Markus go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Markus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Marcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Markus's data
- Markus's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,487 total births); usage has since declined to 938 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Markuss (1,787 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Markus
Nearby Names Like Markus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Markus
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Marcus Boy
#256 241,657 births
Mario Boy
#398 151,310 births
Compare Markus side by side: Markus vs Mark Markus vs Martin Markus vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Markus
Achilles #1220
3,844 births · Peak 2018
Osiel #1222
2,995 births · Peak 2023
Kaycen #1219
1,712 births · Peak 2025
Adiel #1223
2,944 births · Peak 2021
Jasai #1218
1,647 births · Peak 2025
Wylie #1224
6,073 births · Peak 2025
Aydin #1217
6,491 births · Peak 2008
Kendall #1225
35,350 births · Peak 1993
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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Markus: #1221 Boys' Name - 14,947 Births, Peak 1994." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/markus. 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 Markus 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.