Declining since 1991, #9,714 for boys today.
Popularity of Markis since 1970
Babies named Markis per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 50 |
| 1980s | 150 |
| 1990s | 294 |
| 2000s | 229 |
| 2010s | 155 |
| 2020s | 33 |
Meaning & origin
Markis is a rare and relatively recent American name, first recorded in 1970. Its peak popularity came in 1990, after which its use has steadily declined. The name is given to about 1 in every 244,011 boys today, placing it well outside the top 1,000. While its exact origins are unclear, it is likely a modern respelling of the title Marquis, part of a pattern of adopting aristocratic or surname-style names as first names. The name has no associated top states or strong regional concentration.
Markis appears to be a modern American coinage, likely a respelling or variant of the name Marquis, which derives from the French title for a noble rank below duke. The name first appeared in Social Security records in 1970 and has seen limited but consistent use, peaking in popularity around 1990. Its adoption reflects a broader trend of using surname-style or titles as first names.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mark, Mar
Sibling names for Markis
Names that share Markis's style, for a brother or sister.
