Marat

Marat is a masculine given name and surname. The most widely known bearer is Jean-Paul Marat (1743–1793), a French political activist, physician and journalist during the French Revolution.

Born in Boudry in the principality of Neuchâtel (now Switzerland), Marat moved to Paris, where he practiced medicine and became a radical writer and editor of L'Ami du peuple (Friend of the People). Through his polemical articles he defended the revolutionary cause and urged swift and uncompromising action against perceived enemies, contributing to the radicalization of the Revolution.

Marat was assassinated on July 13, 1793, by Charlotte Corday, who stabbed him while he was in his bath. The murder became an enduring symbol of revolutionary zeal and martyrdom. Jacques-Louis David painted The Death of Marat (1793), a neoclassical image that reinforced Marat's role as a political icon. His writings and persona influenced revolutionary politics in France and his name remains associated with radical politics of the era.

Beyond this historical figure, Marat is used as a given name in various cultures and can be encountered as a surname. The name appears in literary, musical, and contemporary contexts but is chiefly recognized for its French revolutionary association.