Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1991

Marcial

Meaning A male given name from Spanish Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,974 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Spanish.

Rank 2025
#4,974
among boys · ↑3,142 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
20
named Marcial
How common
1 in 85,404
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1991
45 babies
All-time total
2,013
#3,286 all-time among boys
First recorded
1911
in Social Security records

Marcial popularity over time

2,013 babies have been named Marcial since 1911, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1911Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 11 1 – #1,670
1920s 91 9 +727% #1,973
1930s 56 6 -38% #2,551
1940s 99 10 +77% #1,942
1950s 162 16 +64% #1,578
1960s 174 17 +7% #1,643
1970s 231 23 +33% #1,730
1980s 336 34 +45% #1,595
1990s 326 33 -3% #1,783
2000s 264 26 -19% #2,550
2010s 172 17 -35% #4,342
2020s (to 2025) 91 15 -12% #4,974

Where Marcial 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 20 0.01 outside top 500
2027 20 0.01 outside top 500
2028 19 0.01 outside top 500
2029 19 0.01 outside top 500
2030 19 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Marcial

Marcial is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,974 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1911, 2,013 American babies have been named Marcial. Its peak came in 1991, when 45 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Marcial stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Marcial?

The median living Marcial is about 36 years old; half are between 22 and 50. An estimated 1,700 people named Marcial are alive in the United States today.

median 36 020406080100

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

Marcial year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 20 #4,974
2024 10 #8,116
2023 13 #6,761
2022 17 #5,553
2021 17 #5,477
2020 14 #6,173
2019 16 #5,714
2018 18 #5,238
2017 14 #6,225
2016 19 #5,067
2015 14 #6,187
2014 23 #4,342
2013 15 #5,827
2012 17 #5,410
2011 17 #5,350
2010 19 #4,963
2009 28 #3,791
2008 25 #4,102
2007 23 #4,317
2006 16 #5,453
2005 24 #3,892
2004 24 #3,819
2003 30 #3,164
2002 29 #3,153
2001 38 #2,550
2000 27 #3,197
1995 24 #2,990
1990 40 #1,928
1985 37 #1,689
1980 26 #2,089
1975 29 #1,736
1970 18 #2,184
1965 13 #2,330
1960 20 #1,845
1955 16 #2,021
1950 8 #2,940
1945 10 #2,340
1940 13 #2,048
1935 – –
1930 11 #2,551
1925 5 #4,647
1920 7 #3,698
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Marcial

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Marcial Maciel Marcial Maciel Mexican priest, founder of the Legion of Christ, sexual abuser 1920–2008 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Marcial?

The median living Marcial is about 36 years old. Half of all living Marcials are between 22 and 50 years old.

How many people named Marcial are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Marcial are alive in the United States, based on 2,013 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Marcial mean?

A male given name from Spanish.

How popular is the name Marcial in 2025?

Marcial ranked #4,974 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Marcial?

2,013 babies have been named Marcial in the United States since 1911, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Marcial most popular?

Marcial peaked in 1991, when 45 newborns received the name.

Is Marcial a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Marcial rising or falling?

Marcial has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Marcial become more popular?

Marcial looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 boys named Marcial in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Marcial?

Well-known people named Marcial include Marcial Maciel (religious figure).

Names like Marcial

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

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