Marcel
Marcel was the 731st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 364 babies. Its best year was 1925, when it ranked 500th; the most babies were born in 2022 (417). Over the last ten years it has moved up 41 places. More babies were named Marcel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning little Marcus (French) · Latin, French
Say it mar-SEL /mɑrˈsɛl/
- Rank in 2025
- #731 boys, down 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 364boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022417 babies
- Total since 1880
- 21,123babies recorded
What does the name Marcel mean?
Marcel is the French form of Latin Marcellus, a Roman cognomen that DMNES explains as a diminutive of Marcus. DMNES derives Marcus either from Mars, the Roman god of war, or from an Etruscan name of unknown meaning. Two popes named Marcellus are recorded by DMNES. Wiktionary records Marcel in Catalan, Dutch, German, Polish and Romanian as well as French. It has been used in the US since 1881.
Marcellus (Latin, “diminutive of Marcus”)Mārs (Latin, “Mars (possible source of Marcus)”)
How sure is this? Probable. DMNES: Marcus from Mars or from an Etruscan name.
Related names: Marcellus, Marceline, Marcelo, Marcus, Marco.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Marcel', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mark', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marcel' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Marcel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 992 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #731 | 364 |
| 2020 | #686 | 373 |
| 2010 | #838 | 255 |
| 2000 | #748 | 227 |
| 1990 | #562 | 327 |
| 1980 | #658 | 176 |
| 1970 | #600 | 183 |
| 1960 | #705 | 123 |
| 1950 | #733 | 88 |
| 1940 | #867 | 53 |
| 1930 | #527 | 129 |
| 1920 | #613 | 106 |
| 1910 | #1,019 | 11 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Marcel, counting every spelling?
Marcel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #615 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #731 for Marcel on its own. Together these spellings went to 446 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcel | 364 | #731 | 1,848 |
| Marcell | 58 | #2,375 | 309 |
| Marsel | 17 | #5,526 | 82 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Marcel?
364 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marcel (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marcel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marcel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marcel?
About 15,800 people born in the US named Marcel are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 12 and 46. That makes Marcel mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Marcel by state
How common Marcel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (1.7×), Arizona (1.6×), New York (1.6×), Florida (1.5×), Massachusetts (1.5×). In 19 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marcel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marcel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marcel · Sibling names for Marcel
Questions about the name Marcel
What does Marcel mean?
Marcel means “little Marcus (French)” (Latin, French origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Marcel?
Marcel was the 731st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 364 babies. Its best year was 1925, when it ranked 500th; the most babies were born in 2022 (417). Over the last ten years it has moved up 41 places. More babies were named Marcel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Marcel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marcel in the US.
Where is Marcel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marcel was most common in Louisiana (0.36 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and New York.