Montell
A masculine name of French origin meaning "little mountain".
Name Census estimates that about 822 living Americans carry the first name Montell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Montell today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Montell births was 1995 (79 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Montell. 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
822
~ 1 in 416,976 Americans
Peak year
1995
79 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,556
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Montell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Montell from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 326 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Montell 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 Montell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Montells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Illinois, South Carolina, New York recorded the most babies named Montell, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Montell
Montell is a given name with origins in the French language. It is a variation of the name Montel, which itself is derived from the Old French word "mont," meaning "hill" or "mountain." The earliest recorded use of the name Montell dates back to the 12th century in medieval France.
During the Middle Ages, the name Montell was commonly used in regions of France where there were prominent hills or mountains. It was often given to children born in these areas as a way to connect them to their local geography and surroundings. The name may have also been used to denote a person who lived near or worked on a hill or mountain.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Montell de Montpellier was a renowned physician and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He is believed to have been born in the city of Montpellier, which is located in the hilly region of southern France.
Another historical figure named Montell was a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 14th century. Records indicate that he served under the command of Joan of Arc, the famous military leader and Catholic saint.
In the 16th century, a French explorer named Montell de Monts was among the first Europeans to establish settlements in what is now eastern Canada. He founded the colony of Acadia, which later became part of the French territory in North America.
A notable figure in the realm of literature was Montell Rousseau, a French writer and philosopher born in the late 17th century. He is best known for his influential works on education and his critiques of societal norms during the Enlightenment period.
Moving into the 19th century, Montell Durand was a French architect who gained recognition for his innovative designs and contributions to the Neoclassical architectural style. Some of his most famous works include the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux and the Palais de la Bourse in Paris.
People
Montell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Montell 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
Montell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Montell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 822 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Montell 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 416,976 US residents.
Is Montell a common name?
We classify Montell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 881 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Montell most popular?
The single biggest year for Montell was 1995, when 79 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Montell is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Montell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Montell 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.