Mark
Boy name · #244 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Mark? In official American birth records, Mark has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Mark is currently the #244 boy name in the United States — 1,416 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #196, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,271 boys born in 2025 was named Mark.
The 145-year story
Mark first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 85 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 58,727 boys were named Mark — good for #6 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Mark per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mark against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mark in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mark is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mark is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mark is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Mark is most common in IL (1.7 per 1,000), LA (1.6 per 1,000), WA (1.5 per 1,000), NJ (1.3 per 1,000), NY (1.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Mark is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Mark
Statistically, parents drawn to Mark tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Paul, Patrick, Jay, Steven, and Kevin.
PaulPatrickJayStevenKevinMartinPeterKenneth
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mark | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,416 | #244 |
| 2024 | 1,447 | #244 |
| 2023 | 1,401 | #249 |
| 2022 | 1,434 | #247 |
| 2021 | 1,408 | #252 |
| 2020 | 1,552 | #235 |
| 2019 | 1,685 | #223 |
| 2018 | 1,874 | #210 |
| 2017 | 1,948 | #203 |
| 2016 | 2,066 | #195 |
| 2015 | 2,078 | #196 |
| 2014 | 2,194 | #189 |
| 2013 | 2,211 | #184 |
| 2012 | 2,204 | #176 |
| 2011 | 2,433 | #159 |
| 2010 | 2,415 | #162 |
| 2009 | 2,578 | #153 |
| 2008 | 2,916 | #139 |
| 2007 | 2,973 | #138 |
| 2006 | 3,252 | #128 |
| 2005 | 3,529 | #114 |
| 2004 | 3,770 | #113 |
| 2003 | 4,033 | #105 |
| 2002 | 4,222 | #93 |
| 2001 | 4,754 | #84 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mark?
In official American birth records, the name Mark first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 85 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Mark a popular boy name?
Mark ranked #244 among boys in 2025 with 1,416 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #196.
When was the name Mark most popular?
Mark peaked in 1960, when 58,727 American boys received the name (ranked #6 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mark?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,271 newborn American boys was named Mark. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.