The English surname of Marks comes from the Latin terms ‘marcus’ and the Roman God of ‘Mars’. In Old English the name Marks also referred to a person living between two regions. The spelling variations for Marks include Mark, Markes, Marcus, Marke and Marc. In England Marks families first started in the Cornwall region, then moved and have lived primarily in the city of London, Devon, Somerset, Yorkshire and Lanarkshire counties. In Scotland most with the Marks name reside in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Angus and Midlothian counties. Within the United States the Marks surname was originally concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio and Michigan. Famous: Laurence Marks (an early television writer of sitcoms programs), Michael Marks (English retailer and co-founder in 1884 of Marks and Spencer Stores (M&S), Walter Marks (movie film and theater producer), Alfred Marks (English comic) and David Lee Marks (musician and songwriter).