2000
#644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.90
Uncommon Last name
Marks
An occupational surname for someone who lived near a boundary or border, or who was a marker of boundaries.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 54,276 Americans carry the last name Marks. That puts it at #707 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,315 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marks 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 Marks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,315
Census rank
#707
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 47,331 bearers of the surname Marks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 707th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marks
The surname Marks has its origins in England and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the personal name Mark, which itself comes from the Latin name Marcus, meaning "consecrated to the god Mars." The name Mark was popularized throughout Europe due to its association with the evangelist St. Mark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Marks surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Marchus." This suggests that the surname was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over time, the spelling evolved to include variations such as Markes, Markys, and Marks.
During the medieval period, the Marks surname was prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. This is evident from records of individuals bearing the name, such as Walter Markes, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195.
The Marks surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such figure is Thomas Marks (1617-1667), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk and wrote several religious works. Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Marks (1632-1700), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1693.
In the realm of literature, the surname Marks is associated with the English poet and playwright Thomas Marks (1741-1809), known for his satirical works and comedies. Additionally, John Marks (1820-1888), an English artist and engraver, gained recognition for his landscape paintings and engravings depicting scenes from the English countryside.
Another notable figure with the Marks surname is Benjamin Marks (1830-1896), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the City of London School and the former headquarters of the Prudential Assurance Company.
While these are just a few examples, the Marks surname has a rich history that spans various fields and time periods, reflecting its enduring presence in England and its significance in the country's cultural and historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marks
Among Census respondents with the surname Marks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Marks 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 Marks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 36,254
- Black or African American14.4% · 6,799
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,793
- Two or more races3.5% · 1,639
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 433
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 413
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marks
Marks 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
#703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,177
+896 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 16.67
Rank movement Down 59 places
2020
#707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,331
-1,846 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 15.84
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #644 | 48,281 | 17.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #703 | 49,177 | 16.67 | +896 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 59 places |
| 2020 | #707 | 47,331 | 15.84 | -1,846 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 4 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 Marks 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 | #703 | #707 | -0.6% |
| Count | 49,177 | 47,331 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 16.67 | 15.84 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marks bearers went from 49,177 to 47,331 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #703 to #707.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Marks
FAQ
Marks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marks?
Name Census estimates that about 54,276 living Americans carry the surname Marks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,315 residents.
How common is Marks?
Marks ranks #707 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 47,331 people with the surname Marks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (54,276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Marks.
Has Marks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marks went from 49,177 recorded bearers to 47,331. That is a decrease of 1,846 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #703 to #707.
What does the Census say about the background of Marks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marks, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Marks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (36,254 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Black (14.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Marks (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 Marks mean?
An occupational surname for someone who lived near a boundary or border, or who was a marker of boundaries. 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 Marks (15.84 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 Marks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.