2000
#7,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,891
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Marvel
An English surname derived from the French word "merveille," meaning a wonder or marvel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,102 Americans carry the last name Marvel. That puts it at #8,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,558 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marvel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Marvel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,558
Census rank
#8,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,577 bearers of the surname Marvel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marvel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marvel
The surname Marvel has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "merveille," meaning "wonder" or "marvel." This name likely referred to someone who performed marvels or wonders, possibly a street performer or entertainer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Marvel can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Merveille." This document was a census-like record of landowners and their holdings in medieval England.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Marveyle" and "Marvell," in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England during this time.
The Marvel surname can also be traced back to place names in England, such as the village of Marvell in Derbyshire. It is possible that some individuals with the surname Marvel originated from or were associated with this location.
Among the notable individuals who carried the surname Marvel throughout history are:
1. Andrew Marvel (1621-1678), an English metaphysical poet, satirist, and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the Commonwealth period.
2. John Marvel (c. 1595-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Portraiture of a Christian Gentleman."
3. Ike Marvel (1801-1889), an American author and essayist who wrote under the pen name "Donald G. Mitchell." He is best known for his book "Reveries of a Bachelor."
4. Thomas Marvel (1760-1826), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
5. Elizabeth Marvel (born 1969), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "True Grit" (2010) and "The District Attorney's Wife" (2009).
While the Marvel surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from Britain over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marvel
Among Census respondents with the surname Marvel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Marvel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Marvel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 3,122
- Black or African American3.9% · 139
- Two or more races3.7% · 132
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marvel
Marvel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,862
-29 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 631 places
2020
#8,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,577
-285 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,892 | 3,891 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,523 | 3,862 | 1.31 | -29 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 631 places |
| 2020 | #8,798 | 3,577 | 1.20 | -285 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 275 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Marvel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,523 | #8,798 | -3.2% |
| Count | 3,862 | 3,577 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.20 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marvel bearers went from 3,862 to 3,577 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 275 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,523 to #8,798.
FAQ
Marvel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marvel?
Name Census estimates that about 4,102 living Americans carry the surname Marvel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,558 residents.
How common is Marvel?
Marvel ranks #8,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,577 people with the surname Marvel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Marvel.
Has Marvel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marvel went from 3,862 recorded bearers to 3,577. That is a decrease of 285 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,523 to #8,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Marvel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marvel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Marvel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (3,122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marvel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Marvel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Marvel mean?
An English surname derived from the French word "merveille," meaning a wonder or marvel. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Marvel (1.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Marvel?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Marvel, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.