Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", for its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous atmosphere that is primarily carbon dioxide. At the average surface level the atmospheric pressure is a few thousandths of Earth's, atmospheric temperature ranges from −153 to 20 °C, and cosmic radiation is high.
Meaning & Origin of Mars
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", for its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous atmosphere that is primarily carbon dioxide. At the average surface level the atmospheric pressure is a few thousandths of Earth's, atmospheric temperature ranges from −153 to 20 °C, and cosmic radiation is high.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Mars
As a girl name
Mars first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2016, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 36 Marss were born — ranking #4,044 that year. As of 2026, Mars ranks #4,604 for girls with 30 births, rising sharply (+51% over the past five years). In total, more than 234 Marss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Mars first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1923, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 154 Marss were born — ranking #1,252 that year. As of 2026, Mars ranks #1,370 for boys with 139 births, rising sharply (+38% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Marss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Mars
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mars is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mars
What does the name Mars mean?
How popular is Mars in 2026?
When was Mars most popular?
In which U.S. states is Mars most popular?
Is Mars a unisex name?
What names go well with Mars?
About the name Mars
Mars is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1923 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Mars's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #1,252. Use the chart and map above to compare Mars's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.