Marshall
Marshall was the 340th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 977 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 132nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (1,269). Over the last ten years it has moved down 21 places. More babies were named Marshall in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning horse servant; later a high officer · English, Old French, Frankish
Say it MAR-shul /ˈmɑrʃəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #340 boys, up 27 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 977boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19471,269 babies
- Total since 1880
- 98,604babies recorded
What does the name Marshall mean?
Marshall is an English and Scottish surname from the word marshal. It goes back through Old French mareschal to a Frankish compound meaning "horse servant", which first meant someone who cared for horses and later a high royal officer. Harrison (1918) glosses it "horse-servant, farrier" and later "official". Wiktionary adds French and German surname sources. It has been used as a first name since the 19th century.
mareschal (Old French, “farrier; marshal”)*marhskalk (Frankish, “horse servant”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Marshal, Marsh.
See also: English names, names from occupations.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marshall', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MARSHAL', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Nicknames for Marshall
The usual nicknames for Marshall are Marsh.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marsh | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Marshalls go by each one.
Marshall popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,157 since 1912.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #340 | 977 |
| 2020 | #367 | 851 |
| 2010 | #374 | 770 |
| 2000 | #344 | 796 |
| 1990 | #281 | 927 |
| 1980 | #263 | 825 |
| 1970 | #282 | 750 |
| 1960 | #268 | 892 |
| 1950 | #194 | 1,082 |
| 1940 | #181 | 809 |
| 1930 | #188 | 741 |
| 1920 | #162 | 850 |
| 1910 | #206 | 125 |
| 1900 | #167 | 126 |
| 1890 | #184 | 73 |
| 1880 | #168 | 78 |
How popular is Marshall, counting every spelling?
Marshall is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #342 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #340 for Marshall on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,011 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 977 | #340 | 4,332 |
| Marshal | 34 | #3,421 | 193 |
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 Marshall?
977 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Marshall (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Marshall 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 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Marshall.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Marshall?
About 62,100 people born in the US named Marshall are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 18 and 62. That makes Marshall mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Marshall by state
How common Marshall was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (2.8×), Maine (2.7×), Iowa (2.5×), South Carolina (2.1×), Indiana (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, New Jersey, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Marshall: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Marshall, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Marshall · Sibling names for Marshall
Questions about the name Marshall
What does Marshall mean?
Marshall means “horse servant; later a high officer” (English, Old French, Frankish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Marshall?
Marshall was the 340th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 977 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 132nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (1,269). Over the last ten years it has moved down 21 places. More babies were named Marshall in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Marshall a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Marshall in the US.
Where is Marshall most popular?
In 2021–2025, Marshall was most common in West Virginia (1.38 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and Iowa.