Machel
The Story of Machel
As a girl name
American parents first put Machel on the record books as a girl name in 1958, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1962, when 13 Machels were born — ranking #3,594 that year. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 71% of all recorded Machels. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1984 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 118 Machels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Machel as a boy name dates back to 1972, when 5 babies received it. 1972 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Machel — #4,986 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1976 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 10 Machels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Machel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Machel 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 Machel
What does the name Machel mean?
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About the name Machel
Machel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 118 births in the dataset. Machel's peak popularity came in 1962 when it ranked #3,594. Use the chart and map above to compare Machel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1962 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.