The baby name Marco takes a traditional favorite and updates it with romance language appeal.
Thanks to M.M. for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
IT ALL STARTS WITH MARCUS
Ancient Roman given name Marcus comes from Mars, the god of war.
The Greek equivalent would be Ares, but it’s not quite the same vibe. Ancient Rome prized military might. A god of war might sound destructive, but Mars was a little different – valiant, noble, protective. Mars was the father of Rome, and his strength led to peace.
Accordingly, the name Marcus repeats in our history books. It’s was the given name of Cicero, a first-century BC statesman known for his stirring speeches; Marcus Antonius, another first-century BC figure, who we mostly remember for his affair with Cleopatra; and a second-century emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
Around 336 AD, a Pope Marcus – or Mark – led the church. He lived less than a year, though.
SAINT MARK
Then there’s Saint Mark. Author of the second gospel in the New Testament, Mark the Evangelist is widely known. Along with Matthew and Luke and John, Mark has the ring of a traditional name with Christian roots – even if it doesn’t feel like a particularly religious name now.
Doubtless that’s why some form of the name appears in nearly every European language. Mark in English; Marc in French; Marco in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
And here’s where Marco enters the public imagination. The Piazza San Marco stands in Venice, one of the most famous public squares in the world. It takes its name from the towering Basilica di San Marco.
It’s better known in English, of course, as Saint Mark’s Square.
One more Italian Marco: Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant remembered for his travels in Asia from the 1270s into the 1290s. He was among the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China. When Polo returned to Venice, his hometown was at war with Genoa. He found himself imprisoned by the other side. Polo told his story to his cellmate, the author Rusticiano. And so Marco Polo became immortal.
LITERARY MARK
Literature gives us plenty of Marks.
The medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult includes a King Mark. He’s ruler of Cornwall and the intended husband for Iseult.
Born Samuel Clemens, the American author Mark Twain took his pen name from a call used by riverboat workers on the Mississippi River. To call “Mark twain” indicated a depth of two fathoms – sufficient the boat to pass.
MARK TO MARCO
Twain lived from 1835 to 1910.
The US Social Security Administration first reports data on name use for the year 1880. At that time, Mark regularly appeared in the US Top 200.
Marco, on the other hand, didn’t rank in the US Top 1000 at all, until well into the 1910s.
Born in 1904, Theodor Geisel – better known as Dr. Seuss – chose Marco for a character name, in early stories like McElligott’s Pool and To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. It’s said that Marco was named after a real-life Marco. Geisel’s college classmate, Mike McClintock, introduced the struggling author to his publisher. In gratitude, Geisel re-named the boy in his Mulberry Street story after McClintock’s son.
At the time, it would’ve been quite rare as a given name. In fact, very few names ended in O at all during the 1930s.
But by the time Dr. Seuss became a household name, later in the twentieth century, Marco wasn’t quite so rare anymore.
HOW POPULAR IS MARCO?
Mark ranked in the US Top Ten from 1955 to 1970, and remained in the Top 100 until 2002.
The baby name Marco peaked at #174 in 1996.
It’s appeared in the US Top 1000 every year from 1947 through the present. Though it typically hovers in the 200s or higher.
As of 2023, Marco ranked #381.
ANCIENT CHOICE with MODERN ENERGY
The story of Marco is something of a curious mix.
Never as popular as Leo or Theodore, it’s likely that Marco never felt like a mainstream favorite. Today, it sounds like it should fit with O-ending favorites like Milo and Arlo, Hugo and Enzo.
Speaking of Enzo, we love Italian names for boys. Just ask all those kids answering to Luca.
That ought to make Marco an obvious choice for families looking for an English-Spanish crossover or an Italian heritage pick.
Instead, Spanish-speaking families are wild about Mateo, Thiago, and Santiago. Emiliano, Enzo, and Bruno are trending, too. In Italy, names like Leonardo, Francesco, and Niccolo are all more popular.
This could make the baby name Marco the perfect choice, of course. It fits with current trends but isn’t at all trendy. Your son would almost certainly never have to share – except with a famous Venetian landmark and an appealing children’s book character.
I have two sons named Nico and Marco. I chose Marco for my second son because it sounded hispanic/Italian and it wasn’t as common as Mark or Mario. I love the name, think it has a universal appeal and seems to go well in most cultures. There is a very famous singer in Mexico named Marco Antonio Solis and the Puerto Rican/American salsa singer, Marc Anthony, was born Marco Antonio Muñiz. My son Marco is in the 2nd grade and so far no one has ever called him “Marco Polo” and he’s never been in a classroom with another Marco either. No one has ever tried to shorten it to Marc or Marky either but I wouldn’t mind if they did. I know in Italy it is very popular but other that that don’t think it’s super popular in other countries.
Marco’s a winner for me! He’s another awesome -o ender (as you’ve mentioned). And I love -o enders. One and all. Wrong type of name for me, with his overtly Italian & Spanish roots, he clashes a bit with my surname, but thanks to a childhood friend, I have a fondness for Marco. He’s sweet yet manly and nobody’s patsy. All in all Marco’s great. Easily accessable for many. I would love to know a passel of Marcos! 😀