mark

Mark is a name with multiple uses in language and culture. As a given name, it derives from the Latin Marcus, which in turn is associated with the Roman god Mars. The form Mark has many variants across languages, including Marc, Marcos, Markus, and Marko, and it is common in English-speaking countries as well as in Europe.

As a surname, Mark can be patronymic, stemming from the given name, or toponymic, linked to place names or historic border terms. In Germanic and some Slavic regions the root idea of a mark or border has historical significance, contributing to the surname as well as to related terms in regional history.

Notable people named Mark include Mark Zuckerberg (born 1984), American entrepreneur and cofounder of Facebook; Mark Twain (1835–1910), the pen name of American writer Samuel Clemens; Mark Hamill (born 1951), American actor best known for Star Wars; Mark Cuban (born 1958), American entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks; and Mark Ruffalo (born 1967), American actor.

Other uses of the word mark include its common noun senses as a sign or symbol, a target, or a grade in education. The Deutsche Mark was the currency of West Germany and of reunified Germany until 2002, while the East German mark, known as Mark der DDR, circulated until 1990. The term also appears in various technical and cultural contexts to denote a distinguishable feature or benchmark.