Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Marcellus

Meaning Borrowed from Latin Marcellus Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,054 Trend → Stable

Borrowed from Latin Marcellus.

Rank 2025
#1,054
among boys · ↓103 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
208
named Marcellus · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,212
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
351 babies
All-time total
9,608
#1,233 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Marcellus popularity over time

9,608 babies have been named Marcellus since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 91 91 9 – #571
1890s – 66 66 7 -27% #708
1900s – 108 108 11 +64% #548
1910s – 410 410 41 +280% #730
1920s – 523 523 52 +28% #831
1930s – 359 359 36 -31% #917
1940s – 326 326 33 -9% #1,043
1950s – 414 414 41 +27% #926
1960s – 612 612 61 +48% #810
1970s 5 818 823 82 +34% #744
1980s – 674 674 67 -18% #974
1990s – 1,032 1,032 103 +53% #1,022
2000s – 1,035 1,035 104 0% #1,177
2010s – 1,403 1,403 140 +36% #934
2020s (to 2025) – 1,732 1,732 289 +106% #732

Where Marcellus is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 208 0.12 outside top 500
2027 207 0.12 outside top 500
2028 207 0.12 outside top 500
2029 207 0.12 outside top 500
2030 207 0.12 outside top 500

Where Marcellus is most popular

Boys named Marcellus per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.162 per 1,000. Strongest in Maryland, North Carolina, and Washington.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Marcellus born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Maryland 33 0.277 +70%
North Carolina 69 0.270 +66%
Washington 42 0.257 +58%
Pennsylvania 67 0.252 +55%
Georgia 61 0.241 +48%
Indiana 38 0.237 +46%
New York 96 0.222 +36%
Arizona 35 0.214 +32%
Michigan 43 0.210 +29%
Virginia 37 0.195 +20%
Florida 88 0.186 +14%
South Carolina 19 0.184 +13%
Texas 157 0.178 +10%
Tennessee 30 0.166 ≈ national
Ohio 43 0.162 ≈ national
New Jersey 32 0.159 ≈ national
Illinois 39 0.153 -6%
Colorado 19 0.147 -9%
Wisconsin 17 0.144 -12%
Massachusetts 17 0.124 -24%
Missouri 17 0.123 -24%
California 99 0.108 -33%
Kansas 7 0.102 -37%
Nevada 5 0.088 -46%
Oregon 6 0.079 -51%
Arkansas 5 0.079 -51%
Connecticut 5 0.074 -55%
Minnesota 9 0.073 -55%
Oklahoma 6 0.068 -58%
Kentucky 6 0.060 -63%
Louisiana 5 0.049 -70%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Marcellus

Marcellus is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,054 in 2025 with 208 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 9,608 American babies have been named Marcellus. Its peak came in 2021, when 351 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Marcellus stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Marcellus?

The median living Marcellus is about 22 years old; half are between 6 and 44. An estimated 7,600 people named Marcellus are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Marcellus year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 208 #1,054
2024 – – 241 #951
2023 – – 271 #870
2022 – – 332 #763
2021 – – 351 #732
2020 – – 329 #741
2019 – – 234 #934
2018 – – 218 #953
2017 – – 181 #1,084
2016 – – 154 #1,220
2015 – – 147 #1,243
2014 – – 126 #1,358
2013 – – 80 #1,805
2012 – – 85 #1,768
2011 – – 87 #1,713
2010 – – 91 #1,695
2009 – – 99 #1,613
2008 – – 106 #1,529
2007 – – 92 #1,664
2006 – – 96 #1,547
2005 – – 106 #1,407
2004 – – 93 #1,473
2003 – – 114 #1,265
2002 – – 98 #1,352
2001 – – 117 #1,177
2000 – – 114 #1,193
1995 – – 97 #1,178
1990 – – 107 #1,024
1985 – – 65 #1,164
1980 – – 47 #1,386
1975 – – 93 #865
1970 5 #8,787 98 #821
1965 – – 60 #952
1960 – – 50 #1,109
1955 – – 52 #1,052
1950 – – 21 #1,641
1945 – – 26 #1,317
1940 – – 25 #1,354
1935 – – 32 #1,181
1930 – – 49 #971
1925 – – 45 #1,035
1920 – – 66 #831
1915 – – 55 #830
1910 – – 17 #746
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 11 #825
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 7 #852
1885 – – 11 #592
1880 – – 11 #591

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Marcellus, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Marcellus?

The median living Marcellus is about 22 years old. Half of all living Marcelluss are between 6 and 44 years old.

How many people named Marcellus are alive today?

An estimated 7,600 people named Marcellus are alive in the United States, based on 9,608 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Marcellus mean?

Borrowed from Latin Marcellus.

How popular is the name Marcellus in 2025?

Marcellus ranked #1,054 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 208 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marcellus?

9,608 babies have been named Marcellus in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marcellus most popular?

Marcellus peaked in 2021, when 351 newborns received the name.

Is Marcellus a boy or girl name?

Marcellus is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Marcellus rising or falling?

Marcellus is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Marcellus become more popular?

Marcellus looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 207 boys named Marcellus in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Marcellus

Names that sound and feel close to Marcellus: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Marcellus with similar names → More names starting with M →