boy's name
Marco
MAR-koh
- Origin Italian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 93,350
the United States
#370
2025 births
Marco means dedicated to Mars, and it has the tightest seven-market spread on this site — the United States 370th, Ireland and England both 467th, Scotland 477th, Northern Ireland 501st and France 502nd, all inside 132 places.
- Marco is a name of Italian origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 2,117 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,846 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1910.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Marco over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 276 |
| 1920s | 469 |
| 1930s | 378 |
| 1940s | 473 |
| 1950s | 1,272 |
| 1960s | 3,757 |
| 1970s | 8,015 |
| 1980s | 9,921 |
| 1990s | 17,087 |
| 2000s | 19,152 |
| 2010s | 11,126 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,991 |
What Marco means
Marco means dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war. The family name descends from the god, so the sense is dedication rather than any quality of the person named.
Where Marco comes from
Marco is the Italian form of the Roman Marcus, built on Mars — god of war and also of agriculture, which is coherent in a society where both were seasonal work for men of fighting age. March carries his name because the Roman year began when campaigning resumed. Mark wrote the shortest and probably earliest Gospel, and Venice took him as patron after merchants stole his relics from Alexandria in 828, which is why the basilica and the lion are his.
Marco in use
Marco peaked in the United States in 2005, when 2,117 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in all seven markets we track and more tightly than any other name on this site — 370th in the United States, then 467th in both Ireland and England and Wales, 477th in Scotland, 501st in Northern Ireland and 502nd in France. A spread of 132 places across seven countries, with an exact tie in the middle of it, is the tightest we record.
How popular is Marco?
In 2025, Marco was given to 862 babies in the United States, ranking #370 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Marco is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marco
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marco also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marco over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Marco in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Marco
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marco — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marco
What does the name Marco mean?
Dedicated to Mars — the Roman god of war and of agriculture.
Is March named after the same god?
Yes. The Roman year began in March, when campaigning resumed after winter.
Why is Mark the patron of Venice?
Venetian merchants stole his relics from Alexandria in 828, which is why the basilica and the lion are his.
Where is Marco used?
All six markets we track, inside 132 places — the tightest spread on this site.
How popular is the name Marco?
In 2025, Marco was given to 862 babies in the United States, ranking #370 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Marco a girl's or a boy's name?
Marco is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marco?
Marco has 2 syllables.
When was Marco most popular?
Marco peaked in 2005, when 2,117 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Marco a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marco currently ranks #369 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.