Marquis [mar-quis]▼ as a boys' name is pronounced mar-KEECE, MAR-kuss, mar-KEE. It is of Old French origin, and the meaning of Marquis is nobleman; lord of the borderlands. Originally a title of nobility for aristocrats whose holdings were situated in vulnerable border areas (the Marches). It is a lower rank than Duke, but higher than Earl, Viscount, or Baron.