Mark
Boy name · #244 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mark against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mark in class?
Mark scores 52 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. 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. In 2025 the states with the most Marks were CA (188), TX (137), NY (108), FL (97), IL (83). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 52/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.