Marchell
A French masculine name derived from Mars, the Roman god of war.
Name Census estimates that about 482 living Americans carry the first name Marchell. It is a predominantly female name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Marchell today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marchell births was 1960 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marchell. 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
482
~ 1 in 711,109 Americans
Peak year
1960
43 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1922 SSA rank
#4,139
Tracked since 1922
Gender
Gender distribution for Marchell
Marchell leans heavily female at 99.0% of total registrations, but 6 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Marchell as a male name
- Ranked #4,139 in 1922
- 6 male births in 1922
- Peak: 1922 (6 births)
Marchell as a female name
- Ranked #14,662 in 2001
- 6 female births in 2001
- Peak: 1960 (43 births)
Popularity
Marchell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marchell from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 254 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Marchell 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 Marchell 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 Marchell
The given name Marchell is a French variant of the Roman name Marcellus, which itself is derived from the Latin word "marcere" meaning "to be withered" or "to be lean." The name gained popularity in ancient Rome and was initially associated with the prominent Marcelli family, a branch of the Claudian gens.
Marchell can be traced back to the 3rd century BC when it was borne by Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman consul and military leader who played a pivotal role in the Second Punic War against Carthage. He earned the cognomen "Marcellus" for his bravery and military exploits, and the name became a symbol of Roman valor and strength.
In the 1st century AD, the name Marchell appeared in the New Testament of the Bible, where it was borne by Marcellus, a Roman centurion mentioned in Acts 16:37-39. This reference suggests that the name was in use among Roman citizens during the early Christian era.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Marchell is found in the writings of the 5th-century Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who chronicled the reigns of several Roman emperors, including Julian the Apostate.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Marchell. One of the most famous was Marcellus I, who served as Pope from 308 to 309 AD and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Another was Marcellus of Ancyra, a 4th-century Christian bishop and theologian who played a significant role in the Arian controversy.
In the 16th century, Marcello Cervini, an Italian cardinal and Pope from 1555 to 1559, took the name Marcellus II upon his election to the papacy. He is remembered for his efforts to reform the Catholic Church and his support for the Counter-Reformation.
Moving forward, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, an American chemist born in 1849, is credited with patenting peanut butter in 1884, contributing to the popularity of this iconic food product.
Lastly, Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Sr., an American industrialist and philanthropist born in 1881, co-founded theRemington Arms Company and played a significant role in the development of the modern sporting arms industry.
These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread use of the name Marchell across different cultures, time periods, and fields of endeavor, reflecting its enduring appeal and the diverse individuals who have borne this moniker.
People
Marchell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marchell 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
Marchell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marchell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 482 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marchell 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 711,109 US residents.
Is Marchell a common name?
We classify Marchell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 584 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marchell most popular?
The single biggest year for Marchell was 1960, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marchell is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marchell a female name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Marchell in the SSA data are female. 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.