Mirel
A diminutive form of the name Mirela, meaning "wonderful" or "admirable".
Name Census estimates that about 663 living Americans carry the first name Mirel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mirel today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mirel births was 2016 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mirel. 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
663
~ 1 in 516,975 Americans
Peak year
2016
31 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,379
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Mirel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mirel from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 229 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mirel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mirel 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 Mirel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mirels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Mirel
The given name Mirel has its origins in the Romanian language, derived from the Latin word "mirare," meaning "to admire" or "to wonder." This name gained prominence in Romania during the medieval period, particularly among families of noble or aristocratic descent.
In the 15th century, the name Mirel was associated with the legendary figure of Mirel the Brave, a Romanian folk hero celebrated for his acts of bravery and defiance against oppressive rulers. Stories and ballads depicting his exploits were widely circulated, contributing to the popularization of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mirel can be traced back to the 16th century, when Mirel Cantacuzino, a prominent Romanian nobleman and military leader, played a significant role in the defense of Wallachia against Ottoman incursions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mirel. In the 19th century, Mirel Sturza (1805-1884) was a Moldavian prince and statesman who served as the ruler of the Principality of Moldavia from 1834 to 1849.
Another prominent figure was Mirel Sadoveanu (1880-1964), a celebrated Romanian novelist and short story writer, renowned for his vivid depictions of rural life and folklore. His literary works, such as "Baltagul" and "Hanu Ancutei," are considered masterpieces of Romanian literature.
In the 20th century, Mirel Rădulescu (1920-1999) gained recognition as a prominent Romanian architect and urban planner, whose contributions helped shape the modern cityscape of Bucharest and other major cities in Romania.
Mirel Pătrașcu (1929-2004) was a distinguished Romanian mathematician and computer scientist, known for his pioneering work in computational geometry and algorithm analysis. His contributions to the field earned him international acclaim and numerous prestigious awards.
It is worth noting that while the name Mirel has historical roots in Romania, its usage has also extended to other regions and cultures over time, albeit with varying degrees of popularity and cultural significance.
People
Mirel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mirel 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
Mirel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mirel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 663 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mirel 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 516,975 US residents.
Is Mirel a common name?
We classify Mirel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 675 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mirel most popular?
The single biggest year for Mirel was 2016, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mirel is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mirel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mirel 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.