Boy · #7,642 in 2026

Ancel

Ancel is both a French surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:

Current Rank
#7,642
Peak Rank
#1,449 (1919)
Total Babies
751
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1883
First Year
2019
Last Year
1919
Peak Year
#1449
Peak Rank
751
Total Count
72
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ancel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ancel is both a French surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Ancel

Ancel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1883, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 25 Ancels were born — ranking #1,449 that year. As of 2026, Ancel ranks #7,642 for baby boys with 10 births, with steady use. In total, more than 751 Ancels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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ID
SD
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IL
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OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
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MD
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Ancel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ancel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ancel

What does the name Ancel mean?
Ancel is both a French surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
How popular is Ancel in 2026?
In 2026, Ancel ranks #7,642 among boys' names in the U.S., with 10 babies given the name that year.
When was Ancel most popular?
Ancel reached its peak popularity in 1919, ranking #1,449 that year with 25 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ancel most popular?
Ancel has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ancel.
Is Ancel a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ancel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Ancel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ancel include Reubin, Monica, Varian. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ancel

Ancel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1883 and has accumulated 751 births in the dataset. Ancel's peak popularity came in 1919 when it ranked #1,449. Use the chart and map above to compare Ancel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.