boy's name
Marcos
MAR-kohs
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 55,123
the United States
#516
2025 births
Marcos means dedicated to Mars, and the god behind it was not only a war god — Mars presided over agriculture too, which is coherent once you notice that farming and fighting were the same men's seasonal work.
- Marcos is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2001, when 1,415 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,726 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1888.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Marcos over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1900s | 33 |
| 1910s | 209 |
| 1920s | 473 |
| 1930s | 399 |
| 1940s | 555 |
| 1950s | 1,062 |
| 1960s | 2,200 |
| 1970s | 4,625 |
| 1980s | 6,987 |
| 1990s | 11,856 |
| 2000s | 13,604 |
| 2010s | 8,030 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,704 |
What Marcos means
Marcos means dedicated to Mars. The Roman family name descends from the god, so the name records a dedication rather than describing the person carrying it.
Where Marcos comes from
Marcos is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcus, from Mars — god of war and, in the older Roman religion, of agriculture and boundaries. March carries his name because the Roman year opened when campaigning resumed after winter. Marcus was one of the small set of first names the Romans actually used, which is why it appears constantly and tells you nothing about a family. Marcella, elsewhere on this site, is a diminutive of the same name.
Marcos in use
Marcos peaked in the United States in 2001, when 1,415 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 516th in the United States on 579 births, 2049th in England and Wales on 12 and 5642nd in France on 5, across 55,123 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1888.
How popular is Marcos?
In 2025, Marcos was given to 579 babies in the United States, ranking #516 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Marcos 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 Marcos
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marcos also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marcos over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Marcos 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 Marcos
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marcos — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marcos
What does the name Marcos mean?
Dedicated to Mars — through the Roman family name Marcus.
Was Mars only a war god?
No. He presided over agriculture and boundaries too, in the older Roman religion.
Why is March called March?
It carries his name — the Roman year opened when campaigning resumed.
Is Marcella related?
Yes — a diminutive of the same name.
How popular is the name Marcos?
In 2025, Marcos was given to 579 babies in the United States, ranking #516 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Marcos a girl's or a boy's name?
Marcos is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marcos?
Marcos has 2 syllables.
When was Marcos most popular?
Marcos peaked in 2001, when 1,415 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Marcos a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marcos currently ranks #516 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.