Marcelo
Marcelo was the 399th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 798 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 364 places. More babies were named Marcelo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning little Marcus · Latin, Spanish, Portuguese
Say it mar-SEL-oh /mɑrˈsɛloʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #399 boys, up 243 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 798boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025798 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,231babies recorded
What does the name Marcelo mean?
Marcelo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellus (Marcel). DMNES explains Marcellus as a Roman cognomen, originally a diminutive of Marcus, and notes that Marcus itself comes either from Mars, the god of war, or from an Etruscan name of unknown meaning. Two popes named Marcellus are among its bearers. It is used mainly in Latino families in the US.
Marcellus (Latin, “little Marcus”)
How sure is this? Probable. A diminutive of Marcus, whose own origin is uncertain.
Related names: Marcel, Marcello, Marcos, Marcelino.
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
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Marcelo popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #399 | 798 |
| 2020 | #642 | 418 |
| 2010 | #856 | 248 |
| 2000 | #842 | 190 |
| 1990 | #976 | 116 |
| 1980 | #1,076 | 71 |
| 1970 | #1,089 | 57 |
| 1960 | #1,353 | 35 |
| 1950 | #1,307 | 31 |
| 1940 | #2,148 | 12 |
| 1930 | #1,517 | 24 |
| 1920 | #1,672 | 22 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Marcelo, counting every spelling?
Marcelo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #409 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #399 for Marcelo on its own. Together these spellings went to 798 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcelo | 798 | #399 | 3,097 |
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 Marcelo?
798 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marcelo (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marcelo 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marcelo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marcelo?
About 12,300 people born in the US named Marcelo are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 5 and 28. That makes Marcelo 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.
Marcelo by state
How common Marcelo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.5×), Texas (2.5×), Arizona (2.4×), Florida (1.8×), California (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marcelo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marcelo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marcelo · Sibling names for Marcelo
Questions about the name Marcelo
What does Marcelo mean?
Marcelo means “little Marcus” (Latin, Spanish, Portuguese origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Marcelo?
Marcelo was the 399th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 798 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 364 places. More babies were named Marcelo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Marcelo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marcelo in the US.
Where is Marcelo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marcelo was most common in Nevada (0.90 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Arizona.