Explore the Family Name Marker
The meaning of Marker
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Marker (probably from a Germanic Marchari, from elements meaning ‘horse’ and ‘army’). 2. English: occupational name from Middle English marker ‘marker’, though the precise significance of the term is uncertain. It derives from Old English mearcian ‘to mark’, and may be a survival of Old English mearcere ‘notary, writer’. 3. English: in southern England, a topographic name from Middle English marker, merker, mirker ‘dweller by the boundary or border’ (compare Mark). This type of name, containing a topographic term + the suffix -er, is found mainly in Sussex and adjacent counties. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): occupational name from Yiddish marker ‘servant’. 5. German: status name for someone who lived on an area of land that was marked off from the village land or woodland, Middle High German merkære. 6. Danish: from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Markward.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Marker in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Marker" has remained relatively stable in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 5,396th most common surname and by 2010, it had only slightly dropped to the 5,407th position, reflecting a modest change of -0.2%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname saw a growth by 8.42%, increasing from 5,938 in 2000 to 6,438 in 2010. The proportion of people named Marker per 100,000 also experienced a minor decrease of -0.91% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,396 | #5,407 | -0.2% |
| Count | 5,938 | 6,438 | 8.42% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.2 | 2.18 | -0.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Marker
The Decennial U.S. Census data gives insights into the ethnic identity distribution associated with the surname Marker. Predominantly, the majority of people with this surname identified as White, although this figure saw a slight decrease from 95.54% in 2000 to 93.06% in 2010. Meanwhile, there were significant increases in other ethnicities, particularly within the Black community, where representation rose by 154.76% over the decade. Other notable changes include a 63.19% increase in Hispanic representation and a 60% increase amongst American Indian and Alaskan Natives. A smaller increase was also observed for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or belonging to two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.54% | 93.06% | -2.6% |
| Hispanic | 1.82% | 2.97% | 63.19% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.32% | 22.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.84% | 1.1% | 30.95% |
| Black | 0.42% | 1.07% | 154.76% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.3% | 0.48% | 60% |
Marker 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 Marker is French & German, which comprises 37.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (36.5%) and Eastern European (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Indigenous American, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 37.4% |
| British & Irish | 36.5% |
| Eastern European | 7.0% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Marker
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 Marker have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
What Marker 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 Marker is I-Y5282, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Y5282 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z326 and I-Z60, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hendrix, Hammond, Mohr, Theis, Cunningham, Tyler, Gould, Anthony, Snider, Pitt.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Marker surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Marker 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.
"Marker" Surname 36.8%
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.
"Marker" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Marker" Surname 36.4%
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.
"Marker" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Marker?
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 Marker are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition