The Marks surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 49,177 people carried this name — #703 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,000 people counted. That is up 2% from 48,281 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Marks surname

A surname transferred from the given name derived from the given name Mark.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Marks» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Mark’.

An early record he cites: Johannes Markson, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Mark, Marks and Marx.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 514 · public domain.

In Poland’s population register

1,280 people named Marks have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 1,575 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Pomeranian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Pomeranian 191
Silesian 188
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 183
Masovian 114
Lower Silesian 112
Lesser Poland 89
Łódź 86
Opole 74

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 19 births for the Marks name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 6 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “12 in Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 17
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 210 people named Marks live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 69
Misiones 56
Entre Ríos 41
City of Buenos Aires 27
Santa Fe 17

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

91 people named Marks live in Switzerland.

They live in 12 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 19
Valais 15
Bern 10
Lucerne 9
Vaud 8
St. Gallen 6
Thurgau 5
Aargau 5

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 49 people named Marks.

Most of them — 34 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 5 départements, most often Pas-de-Calais.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 34
Pas-de-Calais 8
Paris 4
Côte-d’Or 1
Moselle 1
Nièvre 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In national population registers

119 people named Marks are counted in Sweden and Slovenia.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Slovenia counts its residents on 1 January 2026.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 88
Slovenia (2026) 31

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS), SiStat tables 05X1015S–05X1018S, family names of the population, 1 January 2026 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Marks was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Devon: 13 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 769. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Devon 13
Cornwall 10

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

112 families named Marks, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 589 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 38
New York 20
Connecticut 14
South Carolina 10
Virginia 9
Maryland 7
Vermont 6
Massachusetts 4
Maine 1
New Hampshire 1
Rhode Island 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 251 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Marks in American newspapers,
1873–1899.

Newspaper page from The Louisiana Democrat carrying the name Marks
The Louisiana Democrat 1873-07-30
Newspaper page from Iuka Reporter carrying the name Marks
Iuka Reporter 1888-11-15
Newspaper page from The White Mountain Echo And Tourist's Register carrying the name Marks
The White Mountain Echo And Tourist's Register 1899-09-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 25,015 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Marks in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

174,829 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Marks. The most, 34,932, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 72,465
Victoria 44,613
Queensland 25,145
South Australia 19,953
Western Australia 8,339
Tasmania 3,285
ACT (Canberra) 680
Northern Territory 143

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Marks.

Who carried it

People named Marks,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Marks
    William Marks 1778–1858 · lawyer
  • William Marks
    William Marks 1792–1872 · writer
  • Dafydd Marks d. 1999
  • Amelia Adelaide Croydon d. 1916
  • Maud Marks d. 1958
  • Elias Marks 1765–1854 · philanthropist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Marks,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States8,549 records

8,549 records of the Marks name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 3,455
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,844
  • Other U.S. records 3,250
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John F. Marks

    Born 1924 in Texas. Enlisted 1943 at Houston; survey chainman from Harris County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Rosedale Cemetery, Kountze, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Morris J. Marks

    Born 1909 in Connecticut. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; firefighter from Queens County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1976, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catharina Marks

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1852 aboard the Adler from Bremen, aged 29; farmer. From Neuhaus, Germany; bound for Pittsburgh.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 8,549 records for Marks in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia3,249 records

3,249 records of the Marks name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 2,108
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 501
  • Other Australian records 640
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry George Marks

    Died 1908 in Zeehan, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1908.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Emanuel Anthony Marks

    Died 1928 in Narrows, Port Esperance, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1928.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Marks

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1856. Married 1856 in Hamilton, Tasmania, aged 34.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 3,249 records for Marks in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands2,956 records

2,956 records of the Marks name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1,709
  • Dutch population registers 1,098
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 149
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Lambertus Marks

    Married in 1878 in Amsterdam; teacher. Died 1935 in Haarlem, aged 83.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hendrik Jan Marks

    Married in 1907 in Zutphen; carter. Died 1959 in Zutphen, aged 76; farmer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Cornelis Marks

    Married in 1866 in 's-Gravenhage; shoemaker. Died 1921 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 78.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,956 records for Marks in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany598 records

598 records of the Marks name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 595
  • German emigration and citizenship files 3
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Bruno Marks

    Born 1895; from Mittel Bielau Goldberg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 4 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 336).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Andreas Marks

    Emigrated to Poland in 1818.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Leo Marks

    Naturalised at Münster/Preußen in 1904.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)

Showing 3 of 598 records for Marks in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada360 records

360 records of the Marks name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 280
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 22
  • Other Canadian records 58
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Martin Gay Marks

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 55; buried at Ecum Secum.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Marks

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Sarmatian, landing at Portland, bound for St. Catharines, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Victor John Marks

    Buried in 1979 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 360 records for Marks in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom71 records

71 records of the Marks name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 47
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 14
  • Welsh wills index cards 10
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Marks

    Will proved in 1901; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Marks

    Buried in 1849 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 74.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record M. Marks

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 71 records for Marks in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand46 records

46 records of the Marks name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 43
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert John Marks

    Died 1967, aged 85; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Enos Page Marks

    Buried in 1914 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 56.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 46 records for Marks in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France14 records

14 records of the Marks name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Barbara Doris Marks

    Born 1921 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Johann Marks

    Born 1938 in Germany; died 2000 in Ramatuelle (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 14 records for Marks in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium3 records

3 records of the Marks name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record René Marks

    Died 1915 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Marks in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Marks.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Marks is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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