Explore the Family Name Mark
The meaning of Mark
1. English, Dutch, and Sorbian: from Latin Marcus, the personal name of Saint Mark the Evangelist, author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. This name was also borne by a number of early Christian saints. Marcus is an ancient Roman name, of uncertain (possibly non-Italic) etymology; it may have some connection with the name of the war god Mars; compare Martin. The personal name was not as popular in England in the Middle Ages as it was elsewhere in Europe, especially in Italy, where the evangelist became the patron of Venice and the Venetian Republic. He was allegedly buried at Aquileia. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed many cognates and similar-sounding names from other languages, e.g. Polish, Czech, and Slovak Marek, Ukrainian, Slovenian, Sorbian, Rusyn, and Croatian Marko, Greek Markos, and also their patronymics and other derivatives, e.g. Jewish and Slavic Markowicz and Markovich; see also 6 below. 2. English and German; Dutch (Van der Mark): topographic name for someone who lived on a boundary between two districts, from Middle English merke, Middle High German marc, Middle Dutch marke, merke, all meaning ‘borderland’. The German term also denotes an area of fenced-off land (see Marker 5) and, like the English word, is embodied in various placenames which have given rise to habitational names. This surname (in any of the possible senses; see also 5 below) is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine; compare Marck). 3. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Marck, Pas-de-Calais, France. 4. Irish (northeastern Ulster): probably a short form of Markey (when not of English origin). 5. German, Danish, and Dutch: from Marko, a short form of any of the ancient Germanic compound personal names formed with mark ‘borderland’ as the first element, for example Markwardt. 6. Americanized form of French and Breton Marc. 7. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 麥, see Mai. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莫, see Mo 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mark in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Mark" has observed a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, this surname stood at rank 2091, but by 2010 it fell to rank 2537, marking a decrease of 21.33%. The count of individuals bearing the surname also decreased from 15916 in 2000 to 14265 in 2010, a drop of 10.37%. This resulted in a reduced proportion per 100,000 people, from 5.9 in 2000 to 4.84 in 2010, indicating a decrease of 17.97%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,091 | #2,537 | -21.33% |
| Count | 15,916 | 14,265 | -10.37% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.9 | 4.84 | -17.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mark
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Mark", the census data shows varied shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander individuals with this surname rose from 9.53% to 11.34%, an increase of 18.99%. Similarly, the count of individuals identifying as two or more races increased from 2.06% to 2.53%, a rise of 22.82%. The proportion of Black individuals increased from 12.38% to 15.44%, a growth of 24.72%. There was also a 20.00% increase in American Indian and Alaskan Natives bearing this surname, changing from 2.10% to 2.52%. However, the percentage of White individuals with the surname "Mark" declined from 71.70% to 64.91%, marking a decrease of 9.47%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population with this surname grew significantly from 2.22% to 3.26%, a jump of 46.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.7% | 64.91% | -9.47% |
| Black | 12.38% | 15.44% | 24.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 9.53% | 11.34% | 18.99% |
| Hispanic | 2.22% | 3.26% | 46.85% |
| Two or More Races | 2.06% | 2.53% | 22.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.1% | 2.52% | 20% |
Mark ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mark is British & Irish, which comprises 27.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.4%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (13.8%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 27.4% |
| French & German | 20.4% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 13.8% |
| Other | 38.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Mark
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mark have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 55.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 55.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 55.30% |
What Mark haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mark is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and J-CTS5368, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Richards, Harrison, Davis, Morris, Fox, Phillips, David, Cooper, Simons, Thomas.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mark surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Mark have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mark" Surname 36.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mark" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mark" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mark" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mark?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mark are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition