where does the last name Mark come from (origin)?

Question

My last name is Mark and I want to know the origin of the name...my family says it is German. Can anyone help me out please?

Answer 1

Recorded in over one hunded spelling forms from the English Mark, Marke and Markes, the French Marc, Marcq, the Italian and Spanish Marco and Marcos, to the Dutch Murkus, Czech Marek, and such diminitives as the Russian Markowitz and Markovski this ancient surname is Roman. It originates from the popular pre-Christian baptismal name "Marcus", itself a development of the word "mar", meaning to gleam, although there is also a possible asscoiation with "Mars", the god of war. The popularity of the name is closely associated with St Mark, the Evangelist, and author of the Second Gospel, although the surname itself is over one thousand years later. The name, as St Mark or St Marc, or Sanctus Marcus, was often applied in pre-medieval times to religious sanctuaries, monastery's, and other places of religion. These place names were particularly popular in Italy and Spain, and the south of France. The developing locational surnames were sometimes given either to the original lords of the village or region, and thereafter were adopted as hereditary surnames, or more usually the name was given as a form of identification to people who moved from their original homelands. It was then, and it often remains so today, that one of the easiest means of identifying a stranger is to call him or her by the name of the place or country from which they originate. Other popular examples of the surname spellings, the original name being recorded in every European country, include De Marco, Di Marko, Marcus, Marchi, Merck, Marck and Van der Marck, to Marconi, Marchitello, De Marchi, Marcovitch, Markushkin, and even Marczewski. The first known recording is probably that of Heinrich Mark, in the charters of the town of Biberach, Germany, in the year 1390.

Answer 2

The Name Mark

Answer 3

Hey Araceli,

You should go to the Swyrich.com site below. There are 4 origins for that name listed. English, French, German, Jewish. According to them. Too much to cut and paste here but this is the English write up:
Spelling variations of this family name include: Mark, Marks, Markes, Marke and others.

First found in Cornwall where they were seated from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Andrew Mark settled in Virginia in 1654; along with Elizabeth and Sarah; Deborah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Sarah, Thomas Mark all settled in New York State in 1774.

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There were 578 approximate matches, and 469 exact matches/entries for Mark in the LDS Family Search site also, well worth looking at. This will confirm what Swyrich.com said.

Answer 4

Hey Araceli,
You should try going to searchforancestor.com. Click "Surname Origion" at the top. Then scroll down and where it says "Enter Surname" which means last name. Type Mark. I checked it out for you and Mark seems 2 comes from 6 different places. Germany, Ireland, England, Scottland, Great Britin, and some place called Wurttemberq. I hoped that I helped! Good Luck!!! Bye!

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
where does the last name Mark come from (origin)?
My last name is Mark and I want to know the origin of the name...my family says it is German. Can anyone help me out please?

Answer 6

my last name is claywell, i always thought it was German. i recently found out it's English. you might want to try going to ancestors.com they can tell you where your name originated at. good luck.