Marius is a male given name, a Roman family name, and a modern surname. The name Marius was used by members of the Roman gens Maria. It is thought to be derived from either the Roman war god Mars or from the Latin root mas or maris meaning "male". It may also derive from the Latin word mare meaning "sea", the plural of which is maria. In Christian times, it was syncretized as a masculine form of the unrelated feminine given name Maria, from the Hebrew Miriam, Aramaic variant Mariam, and used alongside it. Today, the name Marius is a common given name in Romania, Norway, and Lithuania. The name is also used in the Philippines, France, Denmark, Germany, Catalonia, the Netherlands, and South Africa. The Greek name Marios (Μάριος), the Italian and Spanish name Mario, the Polish name Mariusz, and the Portuguese name Mário are all derived from Marius. People Notable people with the name include: Romans Gaius Marius (157–86 BC), Roman general Gaius Marius the Younger (ca. 110/108–82 BC), son of Gaius Marius Gaius Marius Victorinus (4th century AD) Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius Marius, (d. AD 269), Gallic Emperor Marcus Marius (quaestor 76 BC) (fl. 76 BC), Roman quaestor and proquaestor Marcus Marius Gratidianus (d. 82 BC), Roman praetor Marius Maximus (fl. early 3rd century AD), Roman senator and biographer of Emperors Given name Marius Ambrogi (1895–1971), French fighter pilot in both World Wars Marius Amundsen (born 1992), Norwegian footballer Marius Antonescu (born 1992), Romanian rugby union player Marius Bianchi (1823–1904), French politician Marius Borg Høiby (born 1997), first child of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway Marius Bourrelly (1820–1896), French poet and playwright Marius Brenciu (born 1973), Romanian operatic tenor Marius Bunescu (1881–1971), Romanian painter Marius Cazeneuve (1839–1913), French stage magician Marius Clore (born 1955), British-American molecular biophysicist and structural biologist Marius Job Cohen (born 1947), Dutch jurist and politician Marius Constant (1925–2004), French composer and conductor Marius Copil (born 1990), Romanian tennis player Marius Crainic (born 1973), Romanian mathematician Marius Ebbers (born 1978), German footballer Marius Erinkveld (born 1986), Dutch Supervisor Marius Gabriel (born 1954), South African author Marius Girard (1838-1906), French poet Marius Goring (1912–1998), English actor Marius Grigonis (born 1994), Lithuanian basketball player Marius Grout (1903–1946), French writer Marius Hasdenteufel (1894–1918), French World War I flying ace Marius Jouveau (1878–1949), French poet Marius Kižys (born 1982), Lithuanian footballer Marius Lăcătuş (born 1964), Romanian footballer Marius