Marcus
A Latin-based surname from the personal name Marcus, the classical form behind Mark.
The #2,037 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,472 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Marcus is the Latin personal name behind the English name Mark. As a surname, it usually began as a patronymic or baptismal surname, identifying someone as the son or descendant of a man named Marcus or Mark. Some older writers also linked Marcus with Latin meanings such as "polite" or "shining," but the surname explanation is much more securely tied to the given name.
History
Medieval English records show Marcus used as a baptismal byname, and Bardsley explicitly glosses it as "the son of Mark." The name was also common in Latin and continental European usage, so in some families it may reflect immigrant or ecclesiastical influence as well as native English naming. Over time it remained a relatively uncommon surname compared with the more usual Mark or Marks.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Arthur’s 19th-century dictionary notes an old tradition that Marcus and Mark were names given to children born in March, because of their link to Mars and the month of March.
From the historical record
“boundary -\r croft]* ' MARCUS (A.-Lat.), V. the more usual Eng. form Mark. MARCUSON, Marcus's Son: v. Marcus. MARDEN (Eng.) Bel., to Marden = i the , Pool- Valley [O.E. mere, a pool 4- denui a valley] 2 the Boundary- Valley [Q.E. m(&re, a boundary]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)