Fun Facts About the Name Mars
- More than 1 thousand babies named Mars: U.S. records list 1,520 babies given the name Mars from 1880 through 2025. Even 202 girls received the name Mars - about 1 girl for every 7 boys.
What Does the Name Mars Mean?
Mars is the Latin name of the Roman god of war, and that is its established meaning: the name of the Roman war deity. The Latin form was Mārs (genitive Mārtis). Older Latin Mavors (also Marmar), along with Oscan Mamers and Umbrian Marte, point to a shared Italic divine name, but the word's deeper origin is not settled. Suggested explanations have connected it to a root meaning "to harm" or to the Latin mas, "male," but no derivation is securely established, so the pre-Latin etymology remains uncertain.
Mars Name History & Origins
Mars was one of the chief gods of Rome, ranked after Jupiter. He was a god of war and also of agriculture, and Roman myth made him the father of Romulus and Remus, the twins credited with founding Rome. The month of March, Latin Martius, was named for him, and the planet Mars took his name because its reddish color suggested blood and battle.
As a personal name, Mars was not common in ancient Rome, where names formed from the god's name, such as the cognomen Martialis, were more typical. The link often drawn between Mars and the Roman name Marcus is a traditional one rather than a certainty. In English, Mars has been used as a given name only occasionally and remains uncommon; it also appears as a surname. Its use as a personal name stands apart from its long-standing role as the name of the god and of the planet.
How Popular is the Name Mars?
Mars has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #1,255 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,947 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2024 | #4,966 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2023 | #4,095 | 36 | 0.0022% |
| 2022 | #7,509 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #4,573 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #6,234 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #6,108 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #7,621 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #13,597 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #15,551 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,615 | 105 | 0.0061% |
| 2024 | #1,457 | 124 | 0.0072% |
| 2023 | #1,255 | 154 | 0.0090% |
| 2022 | #1,566 | 113 | 0.0065% |
| 2021 | #1,305 | 144 | 0.0082% |
| 2020 | #1,643 | 98 | 0.0057% |
| 2019 | #1,750 | 90 | 0.0050% |
| 2018 | #1,931 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 2017 | #1,951 | 74 | 0.0040% |
| 2016 | #2,356 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2015 | #3,950 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2014 | #3,280 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #4,562 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #3,853 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #4,063 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #6,255 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #7,089 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #10,625 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #10,492 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #6,338 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #6,478 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #12,541 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #10,417 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #11,692 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,530 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,611 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,766 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1980 | #5,302 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,696 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #4,279 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #4,252 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1943 | #3,862 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1936 | #3,879 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,985 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,577 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,688 | 7 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mars Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Mars's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mars's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.