Marco is a masculine given name of Latin origin. It comes from the Roman clan name Marcus, which was derived from the Latin word "marcus," meaning "dedicated to Mars." Mars was the Roman god of war and agriculture.
The name Marco was popularized during the Middle Ages by the Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who traveled along the Silk Road and wrote about his experiences in "The Travels of Marco Polo." This book provided a valuable resource for Europeans seeking to understand the East. As a result, the name Marco became synonymous with adventure, exploration, and discovery.
Today, Marco is a widely used given name throughout Europe, Latin America, and other parts of the world. It has also gained popularity as a surname in various countries. Despite its Roman origins, the name Marco is commonly associated with Italian culture due to Marco Polo's Venetian heritage.
In some languages, such as Spanish and Portuguese, Marco can be used as both a masculine given name and a feminine one. In these cases, it may be spelled differently (e.g., María in Spanish or Maria in Portuguese) but still retains the same meaning and origin.
Overall, the name Marco is rich in history and culture, stemming from ancient Roman roots and gaining popularity through the travels of the legendary explorer Marco Polo. It continues to be a beloved choice for parents seeking a strong, meaningful name for their child.
The statistics provided detail the number of births given the name Marco in the United States annually from 1910 to 2023. Over this period, the popularity of the name Marco has fluctuated significantly.
In the early years, the name was not very common, with only 5 births recorded in 1910. However, its popularity began to grow steadily in the following years, reaching 21 births in 1913 and 38 births in 1915.
The name Marco reached a significant milestone in 1947 when it surpassed 60 births for the first time, with 68 births recorded that year. This trend continued into the 1950s, with the number of Marco births exceeding 100 annually from 1952 onwards.
The peak of popularity for the name Marco in the United States occurred between 1962 and 1973. During these years, the number of annual Marco births ranged from 313 to 778, with a high point of 778 births recorded in 1973.
However, after reaching its peak, the popularity of the name Marco began to decline steadily. From 1985 onwards, the annual number of Marco births consistently fell below 1000, and by the year 2000, it had dropped to 2026 births.
Despite this decline in popularity, the name Marco has maintained a consistent presence among baby names in the United States. Between 2000 and 2023, the number of annual Marco births ranged from a low of 784 in 2021 to a high of 875 in 2022.
In total, over this period of 113 years, there have been 74,849 babies named Marco born in the United States. This demonstrates that while the name's popularity has varied considerably over time, it has remained a recurring choice for parents throughout much of the 20th and early 21st centuries.