Boy · #3,328 in 2026

Marshal

Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated offices, such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement.

  • English
Current Rank
#3,328
Peak Rank
#595 (1999)
Total Babies
6K
5-Yr Trend
-11%
1952
First Year
1975
Last Year
1954
Peak Year
#4655
Peak Rank
74
Total Count
12
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Marshal

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

Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated offices, such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
Etymology
Marshal is an ancient loanword from Old French mareschal (cf. Modern French maréchal ), which in turn is borrowed from Old Frankish * marskalk "stable boy, keeper, servant", attested by Medieval Latin mariscalcus from a Proto-Germanic *maraχskalkaz (cf. Old High German marahschalh ) being still evident in Middle Dutch maerscalc , marscal , and in modern Dutch maarschalk (="military chief commander"; the meaning influenced by the French use). It is cognate with Old High German mar(ah)-scalc "id.", modern German (Feld-)Marschall (="military chief commander"; the meaning again influenced by the F

The Story of Marshal

Marshal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 95 Marshals were born — ranking #1,283 that year. As of 2026, Marshal ranks #3,328 for baby boys with 36 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 6K Marshals 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

Variants & Related Forms of Marshal

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Marshal. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Marshal

Phonetically similar names — useful when Marshal 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 Marshal

What does the name Marshal mean?
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated offices, such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement.
What is the origin of the name Marshal?
Marshal has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Marshal in 2026?
In 2026, Marshal ranks #3,328 among boys' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year.
When was Marshal most popular?
Marshal reached its peak popularity in 1999, ranking #595 that year with 95 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Marshal most popular?
Marshal has historically been most popular in Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Marshal.
Is Marshal a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Marshal is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Marshal?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Marshal include Anson, Harper, Roe. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Marshal?
Common variants and related forms of Marshal include Marshall. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Marshal

Marshal is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Marshal's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #595. Use the chart and map above to compare Marshal'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.