boy's name
Marius
MAR-ee-oos
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 96,192
France
#27
2025 births
Marius is a boy's name of Latin origin, a Roman family name usually connected to Mars, the god of war. It ranks twenty-seventh in France and is one of the oldest continuously used names in our records, appearing in American data from 1881.
- Marius is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1910, when 2,030 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in France.
- Today about 1 in 385 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Marius over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 18,695 |
| 1910s | 14,305 |
| 1920s | 12,980 |
| 1930s | 6,365 |
| 1940s | 2,415 |
| 1950s | 1,180 |
| 1960s | 750 |
| 1970s | 410 |
| 1980s | 480 |
| 1990s | 2,100 |
| 2000s | 7,775 |
| 2010s | 14,665 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,210 |
What Marius means
Marius means of Mars, in the usual reading. It is a Roman gens name rather than a descriptive word, and the connection to the war god is probable rather than certain, which is true of most names built on that root.
Where Marius comes from
Marius is a Roman family name, the gens Maria, whose most famous member was Gaius Marius, seven times consul and the general who reorganized the Roman army in the second century BC. The name is usually derived from Mars, though some scholars connect it instead to the Etruscan, and a folk tradition ties it to the Latin mare, sea, or to Maria, neither of which holds up. It passed into Christian use through several early martyrs and remained common in Provence, where Marius is a stock figure of southern French culture, fixed by Marcel Pagnol's play and film of 1929.
Marius in use
Marius ranks twenty-seventh in France with about 1,530 births in 2025, and our records carry it in American data from 1881, so it is among the longest continuously recorded names we hold. It has not traveled far: 2,546 in the United States and beyond 1,400 in England and Wales. Its strength in Provence is the reason it reads as regionally French rather than simply old.
How popular is Marius?
In 2025, Marius was given to 1,530 babies in France, ranking #27 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Marius is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marius
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marius also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marius over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Marius
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Marius 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 Marius
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marius — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marius
What does the name Marius mean?
Marius means "of Mars," in the usual reading. It is a Roman family name rather than a descriptive word.
Is Marius related to Maria?
No, despite the resemblance. Marius is a Roman gens name; Maria comes from the Hebrew Miriam.
How do you pronounce Marius in French?
MAR-ee-oos, with the French u sound in the final syllable.
Who was Gaius Marius?
A Roman general and seven-times consul who reorganized the Roman army in the second century BC.
How popular is the name Marius?
In 2025, Marius was given to 1,530 babies in France, ranking #27 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Marius a girl's or a boy's name?
Marius is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marius?
Marius has 3 syllables.
When was Marius most popular?
Marius peaked in 1910, when 2,030 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Marius?
Marius is usually shortened to Mars.
Is Marius a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marius currently ranks #27 in France. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.