2000
#5,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,938
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Marker
An occupational surname denoting a person who marked boundaries or was involved in the buying and selling of goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,262 Americans carry the last name Marker. That puts it at #6,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,736 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marker surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,736
Census rank
#6,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,461 bearers of the surname Marker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marker
The surname Marker is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "mære," meaning "boundary" or "landmark," suggesting that the name may have initially been given as an occupational surname to someone responsible for marking or maintaining boundaries or property lines.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Richard le Merker is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the transition from the Old English root to its more modern form.
During the 13th century, the surname began to appear more frequently in various historical records across different regions of England. For instance, in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, a person named John le Markere is listed. This spelling variation further exemplifies the evolving nature of the name over time.
Interestingly, the surname Marker has also been associated with certain place names, such as the village of Markyate in Hertfordshire, which is believed to have derived from the Old English words "mære" and "geat," meaning "boundary gate." It is possible that some individuals with the surname may have originated from or had connections to this particular location.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Marker. One such person was William Marker (c. 1558-1624), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Carlisle from 1610 until his death. Another prominent figure was Sir John Marker (1620-1688), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Callington in Cornwall during the 17th century.
In the realm of literature, Christopher Marker (1921-2012) was a renowned French writer, filmmaker, and multimedia artist known for his influential works such as "La Jetée" and "Sans Soleil." His unique style and experimental approaches to storytelling have had a lasting impact on the world of cinema.
Additionally, the surname Marker has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including James Marker (1776-1853), an English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Leeds, and Frederick Marker (1842-1915), a German-born American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marker
Among Census respondents with the surname Marker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Marker bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 4,952
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 196
- Two or more races3.3% · 179
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 57
- Black or African American1.0% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marker
Marker appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,438
+500 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 11 places
2020
#6,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,461
-977 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,396 | 5,938 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,407 | 6,438 | 2.18 | +500 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 11 places |
| 2020 | #6,043 | 5,461 | 1.83 | -977 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 636 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marker surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,407 | #6,043 | -11.8% |
| Count | 6,438 | 5,461 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.18 | 1.83 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marker bearers went from 6,438 to 5,461 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 636 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,407 to #6,043.
FAQ
Marker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marker?
Name Census estimates that about 6,262 living Americans carry the surname Marker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,736 residents.
How common is Marker?
Marker ranks #6,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,461 people with the surname Marker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Marker.
Has Marker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marker went from 6,438 recorded bearers to 5,461. That is a decrease of 977 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,407 to #6,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Marker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marker, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (4,952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marker (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marker mean?
An occupational surname denoting a person who marked boundaries or was involved in the buying and selling of goods. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marker (1.83 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Marker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.