Marshell
A masculine name derived from the Old French word "mareschal", meaning "horse servant".
Name Census estimates that about 979 living Americans carry the first name Marshell. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 59.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Marshell today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Marshell births was 1970 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Marshell. 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.
Key insights
- • Marshell started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
- • Marshell sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
979
~ 1 in 350,107 Americans
Peak year
1970
43 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
2007 SSA rank
#11,847
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Marshell
Marshell is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,561 total registrations, 925 (59.3%) were male and 636 (40.7%) were female.
Marshell as a male name
- Ranked #11,847 in 2007
- 6 male births in 2007
- Peak: 1930 (25 births)
Marshell as a female name
- Ranked #16,423 in 2006
- 6 female births in 2006
- Peak: 1970 (31 births)
Popularity
Marshell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Marshell from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 300 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
Marshell 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 Marshell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Marshells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky recorded the most babies named Marshell, while North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Marshell
The name Marshell is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French word "mareschal," which meant "horse servant" or "stable keeper." This term itself came from the Frankish word "marah," meaning "horse," and "skalks," meaning "servant." The name was initially used as an occupational title for those responsible for tending to horses, particularly in noble households and military contexts.
During the medieval period, the name Marshell gained prominence as a surname, often borne by individuals who held the position of Marshal, a high-ranking military officer responsible for commanding armies and overseeing the care of horses and equipment. The role of the Marshal was crucial in the era of mounted warfare, and those bearing this title were highly respected.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Marshell can be found in the 13th-century English historical records, where it appears as a variant spelling of the surname "Marshall." In the year 1235, a man named William Marshell is mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls, which documented legal proceedings in England during that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Marshell. One such figure was John Marshell (1598-1682), an English clergyman and author who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. Another prominent bearer of the name was William Marshell (1665-1727), an English philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of optics.
In the realm of literature, Marshell Everett (1834-1905) was an American author and editor who wrote extensively on historical and religious topics. He is best known for his work "The Life of Christ" and his contributions to the New York Independent newspaper.
Another individual of note was Marshell Peck (1904-1964), an American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his works depicting Native American subjects. His paintings and drawings were widely exhibited and are now part of various museum collections.
Lastly, Marshell Harris (1940-2018) was a renowned American football player who played as a defensive back for the Houston Oilers and the Miami Dolphins in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a key member of the Dolphins' team that achieved a perfect season in 1972, winning the Super Bowl that year.
While the name Marshell has its roots in the equestrian and military spheres of the Middle Ages, it has since transcended these origins and been adopted by individuals across various fields and cultures throughout history.
People
Marshell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Marshell 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
Marshell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Marshell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 979 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Marshell 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 350,107 US residents.
Is Marshell a common name?
We classify Marshell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,561 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Marshell most popular?
The single biggest year for Marshell was 1970, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Marshell is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Marshell a male name?
Yes, 59.3% of people registered as Marshell 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.