How popular is the baby name Mark in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Mark.

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Popularity of the baby name Mark


Posts that mention the name Mark

What turned Flip into a baby name in 1960?

The character Brook Hooten (played by Flip Mark) from the TV series "Guestward, Ho!" (1960-1961)
Flip Mark as Brook Hooten

The name Flip, typically a nickname for Philip, was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1960:

  • 1962: unlisted
  • 1961: unlisted
  • 1960: 5 baby boys named Flip [debut]
  • 1959: unlisted
  • 1958: unlisted

Where did it come from?

I think the primary influence was child actor Flip Mark (born Philip Mark Goldberg), who appeared on the short-lived sitcom Guestward, Ho! (1960-1961). He played the character Brook Hooten, the young son of a New York City couple who’d moved to New Mexico to operate a dude ranch.

(Flip Mark was also able to nudge the name of his character, Brook, into the boys’ top 1,000 for the first time in 1961.)

But there could have been a secondary influence: the character Frank “Flip” Flippen, from the even shorter-lived series Overland Trail (1960). He was played by actor Doug McClure (who later portrayed Trampas on The Virginian).

Do you like Flip as a standalone name, or do you prefer it as a nickname?

Sources: Guestward, Ho! – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Adapted from Flip Mark Guestward Ho 1961

Popular baby names in Estonia, 2020

Flag of Estonia
Flag of Estonia

The most popular baby names in the Northern European country of Estonia in 2020 were Sofia and Robin.

Here are Estonia’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2020:

Girl names

  1. Sofia, 87 baby girls
  2. Mia, 81
  3. Alisa, 73
  4. Marta, 65
  5. Emily, 63 (3-way tie)
  6. Emma, 63 (3-way tie)
  7. Saara, 63 (3-way tie)
  8. Anna, 59
  9. Eva, 58
  10. Milana, 53

Boy names

  1. Robin, 98 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 79
  3. Mark, 70
  4. Hugo, 69
  5. Rasmus, 68
  6. Sebastian, 67
  7. Jakob, 66
  8. Robert, 59
  9. David, 58
  10. Daniel, 57

In the girls’ top 10, Emma, Saara, Eva, and Milana replaced Lenna, Hanna, Maria, and Eliise.

In the boys’ top 10, Jakob, David, and Daniel replaced Oskar, Mattias, and Kristofer.

Statistics Estonia said Jakob is an example of an old fashioned name – popular among those over 75 years old but almost non-existent among the middle-aged – becoming popular again.

In 2019, the top names were Mia and Sebastian.

Sources: Populaarsed eesnimed sünniaasta järgi – Eesti Statistika, 2020 aasta popimad nimed olid Robin ja Sofia – Eesti Statistika (Jan. 2021), Most popular baby names in 2020: Robin and Sofia – ERR News

Image: Adapted from Flag of Estonia (public domain)

[Latest update: Sept. 2025]

Where did the baby name Caribe come from in 1975?

Title of the TV series "Caribe" (1975)
“Caribe“

The rare name Caribe appeared in the U.S. baby name data for a total of two years in the mid-1970s:

  • 1977: unlisted
  • 1976: 6 baby boys named Caribe
  • 1975: 14 baby boys named Caribe [debut]
  • 1974: unlisted
  • 1973: unlisted

Where did it come from?

A short-lived television series called Caribe (pronounced kah-REEB). It was originally broadcast in 1975, from February to May, but reruns continued to air until August.

Caribe was a crime drama about a fictional Miami-based law enforcement unit called Caribe Force that fought crime throughout the Caribbean. The two members of the Caribe Force were Lt. Ben Logan (played by Stacy Keach) and Sgt. Mark Walters (played by Carl Franklin).

According to Stacy Keach’s memoir, the 13-episode show had been “meant to rival Hawaii Five-O.”

What are your thoughts on name Caribe?

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of Caribe

[Latest update: Jun. 2025]

Popular male names in England, 1560-1621

Merton College (University of Oxford)
Merton College (University of Oxford)

A while back, I stumbled upon a register of people associated with Oxford University from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century.

Interestingly, the editor of the register decided to include a section dedicated to first names and surnames. That section included a long list of male forenames and their frequency of occurrence from 1560 to 1621.

The editor claimed that, for several reasons, these rankings were “probably…more representative of English names than any list yet published” for that span of time. One reason was that the names represented men from “different grades of English society” — including peers, scholars, tradesmen, and servants.

So, are you ready for the list?

Here’s the top 100:

  1. John, 3,826 individuals
  2. Thomas, 2,777
  3. William, 2,546
  4. Richard, 1,691
  5. Robert, 1,222
  6. Edward, 957
  7. Henry, 908
  8. George, 647
  9. Francis, 447
  10. James, 424
  11. Nicholas, 326
  12. Edmund, 298
  13. Anthony, 262
  14. Hugh, 257
  15. Christopher, 243
  16. Samuel, 227
  17. Walter, 207
  18. Roger, 195
  19. Ralph, 182
  20. Peter (and Peirs/Pers), 175
  21. Humphrey, 168
  22. Charles, 139
  23. Philip, 137
  24. David, 129
  25. Matthew, 116
  26. Nathaniel, 112
  27. Michael, 103
  28. Alexander, 98 (tie)
  29. Arthur, 98 (tie)
  30. Laurence, 90
  31. Giles, 88
  32. Stephen, 86
  33. Simon, 83
  34. Daniel, 79
  35. Joseph, 78 (tie)
  36. Lewis, 78 (tie)
  37. Andrew, 69
  38. Roland, 65
  39. Griffith (and Griffin), 60
  40. Evan, 55
  41. Abraham, 54 (tie)
  42. Leonard, 54 (tie)
  43. Owen, 53
  44. Gilbert, 52
  45. Morris (and Maurice), 51
  46. Bartholomew, 46 (3-way tie)
  47. Oliver, 46 (3-way tie)
  48. Timothy, 46 (3-way tie)
  49. Morgan, 45
  50. Martin, 44 (tie)
  51. Rice, 44 (tie)
  52. Gabriel, 41
  53. Benjamin, 40
  54. Jeffrey/Geoffrey, 38
  55. Ambrose, 36
  56. Adam, 35
  57. Toby (and Tobias), 34
  58. Jerome, 33
  59. Ellis, 30
  60. Paul, 29
  61. Bernard, 28 (3-way tie)
  62. Gregory, 28 (3-way tie)
  63. Isaac, 28 (3-way tie)
  64. Jasper (and Gaspar), 26 (3-way tie)
  65. Josiah (and Josias), 26 (3-way tie)
  66. Randall (and Randolph), 26 (3-way tie)
  67. Miles, 24
  68. Lancelot, 23
  69. Austin (and Augustine), 22 (tie)
  70. Jarvis (and Gervase), 22 (tie)
  71. Brian, 21
  72. Matthias, 20 (tie)
  73. Reginald (and Reynold), 20 (tie)
  74. Jeremy, 19
  75. Theophilus, 19
  76. Joshua 18 (3-way tie)
  77. Marmaduke, 18 (3-way tie)
  78. Valentine, 18 (3-way tie)
  79. Fulke, 17 (tie)
  80. Sampson (and Samson), 17 (tie)
  81. Clement, 16 (4-way tie)
  82. Ferdinando, 16 (4-way tie)
  83. Herbert, 16 (4-way tie)
  84. Zachary, 16 (4-way tie)
  85. Cuthbert, 15 (3-way tie)
  86. Emanuel, 15 (3-way tie)
  87. Vincent, 15 (3-way tie)
  88. Adrian, 14 (3-way tie)
  89. Elias, 14 (3-way tie)
  90. Jonah (and Jonas), 14 (3-way tie)
  91. Tristram, 13
  92. Allan, 12 (6-way tie)
  93. Ames, 12 (6-way tie)
  94. Barnaby (and Barnabas), 12 (6-way tie)
  95. Gerard (and Garret), 12 (6-way tie)
  96. Lionel, 12 (6-way tie)
  97. Mark, 12 (6-way tie)
  98. Abel, 11 (3-way tie)
  99. Erasmus, 11 (3-way tie)
  100. Roderic, 11 (3-way tie)

Did the relative popularity of any of these names surprise you?

The editor did note that “the more common names occur more frequently than they ought to…from the tendency to confuse less common names with them.”

For example, a person called ‘Edmund,’ if he is frequently mentioned in the Register, is almost certain to be somewhere quoted as ‘Edward,’ ‘Gregory’ as ‘George,’ ‘Randall’ or ‘Raphael’ as ‘Ralph,’ ‘Gilbert’ as ‘William,’ and so on.

Now here are some of the less-common names, grouped by number of appearances in the register:

10 appearancesIsrael, Luke
9 appearancesCadwalader, Jenkin, Percival
8 appearancesBennet/Benedict, Godfrey, Howell, Jonathan, Raphael, Theodore
7 appearancesBaldwin, Gawen/Gavin, Hercules, Job, Kenelm, Meredith, Silvester, Solomon, Watkin
6 appearancesAlban, Basil, Caleb, Cornelius, Dennis, Guy, Jacob, Patrick
5 appearancesDudley, Edwin, Eustace, Ezechias/Hezekiah, Ezekiel, Hannibal, Joel, Moses, Peregrine, Simeon, Thurstan, Zacchaeus
4 appearancesFelix, Maximilian, Phineas
3 appearancesAaron, Abdias, Amos, Arnold, Baptist, Barten, Devereux, Diggory, Eleazer, Elisha, Ely, Ephraim, Euseby, German, Hamnet, Hilary, Hopkin, Jevan (“a form for Evan”), Justinian, Lemuel, Osmund, Pexall, Shakerley, Swithin
2 appearancesAngell, Audley, Avery, Bruin, Caesar, Calcot, Carew, Carr, Cecil, Cheyney, Clare, Collingwood, Conon/Conan, Darcy, Dominic, Elkanah, Emor, Ethelbert, Fitz-William, Frederic, Gamaliel, Gideon, Gifford, Goddard, Gray, Hamlet, Hammond, Harvey, Hastings, Hatton, Hector, Isaiah, Jethro, Joscelyn, Julius, Knightley, Mordecai, Morton, Nathan, Nevell, Obadiah, Otho, Pascho, Philemon, Polydor, Price, Raleigh, Raymond, Reuben, Rouse, Sabaoth, Sebastian, Seth, Silas, Silvanus, Tertullian, Umpton, Warren, Wortley, Zouch

Finally, lets check out some of the single-appearance names.

Over 250 names were in the register just once. I won’t include all of them, but here are about half:

  • Accepted, Aegeon, Albinus, Alford, Algernon, Ammiel, Arcadius, Arundel, Atherton, Aubrey, Aunstey, Aymondesham*
  • Bamfield, Beauforus, Bezaliel, Blaise, Bulstrod, Burgetius
  • Cadoc, Calvin, Candish, Cannanuel, Chiddiock, Chilston, Chrysostom, Conrad (“probably a foreigner”), Cosowarth, Creswell, Cyprian
  • Dabridgcourt, Darby, Delvus, Deodatus, Dier, Donwald, Dunstan
  • Elihu, Erisy, Esdras, Everard
  • Fernand, Fettiplace, Fines, Florice, Fogge, Fulbert
  • Geraint, Gerald, Glidd, Gourneus, Granado, Grange, Gratian
  • Hattil, Haut, Hercius, Hodges
  • Jarniot, Jephson, Jerameel, Jeremoth, Jolliffe
  • Kelamus, Killingworth, Kingsmell
  • Lambard, Leoline, Levinus, Leyson, Livewell
  • Maior, Maniewe, Marchadine, Mardocheus, Mattathias, Moyle
  • Nargia, Nizael, Norwich, Noye
  • Ogier, Olliph, Otwell
  • Pancras, Peleger, Periam, Person, Phatnell, Poynings, Purify
  • Renewed, Rheseus (“a Latinism for Rice”), Rimprum, Rollesley, Rotheram, Rumbold
  • Sabinus, Scipio, Sefton, Slaney, Snappe, Southcot, St. John, Stockett, Stukeley
  • Tanfield, Thekeston, Thrasibulus, Timoleon, Tournie, Tupper
  • Ulpian, Utred
  • Wallop, Walsingham, Warian, Warnecombe, Whorwood, Willgent
  • Yeldard
  • Zorobabel

*Could “Aymondesham” be a typo for Agmondesham?

Which of these uncommon names do you find the most intriguing?

Source: Register of the University of Oxford, vol. 2, part 4, edited by Andrew Clark, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889.

Image: Merton College from Merton Field by Jonas Magnus Lystad under CC BY-SA 4.0.

[Latest update: Dec. 2022]