Marcellis
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly from Latin Marcellus or French Marcel.
Name Census estimates that about 304 living Americans carry the first name Marcellis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Marcellis today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marcellis births was 1994 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marcellis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
304
~ 1 in 1,127,481 Americans
Peak year
1994
25 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2021 SSA rank
#9,373
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Marcellis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marcellis from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 98 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marcellis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Marcellis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marcellis
The name Marcellis is of Latin origin, derived from the Roman family name Marcellus. The earliest recorded use of this name dates back to the 3rd century BC, when Marcus Claudius Marcellus was a prominent Roman statesman and military leader during the Second Punic War.
Marcellus was a common name among the ancient Romans, and it is believed to have evolved from the Latin word "marculus," which means "little warrior" or "young soldier." This suggests that the name Marcellis may have been associated with strength, bravery, and military prowess in its early days.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Marcellis was Marcellis Empiricus, a physician and writer who lived in the 5th century AD in the Byzantine Empire. He wrote several medical treatises, including "De Medicamentis," which was a compilation of remedies and cures.
In the Middle Ages, the name Marcellis appeared in various European countries, although its popularity varied across regions. One notable figure was Marcellis of Bordeaux, a 6th-century Frankish nobleman and military leader who fought against the Visigoths in what is now southwestern France.
During the Renaissance period, the name Marcellis gained some prominence in Italy. Marcellis Palingenius Stellatus, born in 1500, was an Italian poet and satirist who wrote the epic poem "Zodiacus Vitae," which criticized the vices and follies of his time.
In the 17th century, Marcellis van Bommel was a Dutch painter known for his still-life compositions and portraits. He was born in 1619 and worked in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age.
Another notable figure with the name Marcellis was Marcellis Laroon, a French-born painter and engraver who lived in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his portraits and satirical etchings, and he worked for various patrons, including King William III.
While the name Marcellis has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has maintained a presence in various cultures and time periods, often associated with individuals who achieved notable accomplishments in fields such as military leadership, medicine, literature, and the arts.
People
Marcellis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marcellis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Marcellis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marcellis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 304 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marcellis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,127,481 US residents.
Is Marcellis a common name?
We classify Marcellis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marcellis most popular?
The single biggest year for Marcellis was 1994, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marcellis is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marcellis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Marcellis in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.