Boy · #762 in 2026

Marcel

Marcel is an Occitan form of the Ancient Roman origin male given name Marcellus, which in Latin means "Belonging to Mars". The feminine counterpart of the name is Marcelle. It is used predominantly in France, Monaco, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Canada and partially in Poland and Romania.

Current Rank
#762
Peak Rank
#500 (2022)
Total Babies
20K
5-Yr Trend
+4%
1915
First Year
2015
Last Year
1970
Peak Year
#2354
Peak Rank
992
Total Count
84
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Marcel

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

Marcel is an Occitan form of the Ancient Roman origin male given name Marcellus, which in Latin means "Belonging to Mars". The feminine counterpart of the name is Marcelle. It is used predominantly in France, Monaco, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Canada and partially in Poland and Romania.

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

The Story of Marcel

Marcel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1881, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 417 Marcels were born — ranking #659 that year. As of 2026, Marcel ranks #762 for baby boys with 338 births, holding steady (+4%). In total, more than 20K Marcels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Marcel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Marcel 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 Marcel

What does the name Marcel mean?
Marcel is an Occitan form of the Ancient Roman origin male given name Marcellus, which in Latin means "Belonging to Mars". The feminine counterpart of the name is Marcelle. It is used predominantly in France, Monaco, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Canada and partially in Poland and Romania.
How popular is Marcel in 2026?
In 2026, Marcel ranks #762 among boys' names in the U.S., with 338 babies given the name that year.
When was Marcel most popular?
Marcel reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #500 that year with 417 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Marcel most popular?
Marcel has historically been most popular in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Marcel.
Is Marcel a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Marcel is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Marcel?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Marcel include Ignacio, Dominik, Spenser. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Marcel

Marcel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 20K births in the dataset. Marcel's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #500. Use the chart and map above to compare Marcel'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.