Marco

Marco is the Italian version of the ancient Roman male name Marcus. The English typically use Mark and the Spanish/Portuguese generally use Marcos, but Marco is distinctly Italian. Marcus originated as one of the oldest of Roman forenames. In fact, at the time of antiquity and the classical era, Marcus was one of only a dozen or so given names used for boys. In the 2nd century Roman Empire, Marcus Aurelius, considered a philosopher-king and symbolizing much of what was good about Roman civilization, was the last of the “Five Good Emperors”. The etymological origin of the name is not certain. It likely comes from one of two places. The first is Mars, the Roman god of war. The second is from the Latin adjective “mas” meaning ‘male, virile’ which connects nicely with Mars. Either way, this name is all “boy”. The Italian name Marco became popularized in Venice around the 9th century when, it was believed, St. Mark’s relics were stolen from Alexandria, Egypt and brought there. The Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco (St Mark's Basilica in Venice) was originally built to house these relics. One of the most famous Italians names Marco (not surprisingly, a Venetian) was Marco Polo, a 13th / 14th century explorer who did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China after writing about his experiences. Marco Polo’s voyages would later inspire another adventurous Italian: Christopher Columbus. Marco Polo is also the name of a children’s game played in a swimming pool. The blind “It” person calls out “Marco” while the others reply “Polo”. The blind person must seek out and “tag” others acoustically. The game is meant to symbolize Marco Polo’s meandering and newly discovered adventures throughout Asia. Today, Marco remains one of the most popular male names in Italy.