Derived from old Latin “Mart-kos”, which means “consecrated to the god Mars”. Another meaning is “God of war”.
Latin form was Marcus which was one of the three most common given names in Ancient Rome. Saint Mark was the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament.
It was used in the Middle Ages and became especially popular in the 19th century. In the Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde, Mark was the name of the king of Cornwall.
Famous bearers are Mark Knopfler, Mark Wahlberg, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Hamill, Mark Harmon, Mark Pellegrino and Mark Twain (born Samuel Langhorne Clemens).
Mark is a popular name in Slovenia, Hungary, Ireland, United States, England and Wales.