Unisex name · since 1958
Machel
118 babies named Machel in U.S. Social Security records since 1958, with the highest year being 1962. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #25,322 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 118
- born since 1958
- 1960s
- peak decade
Machel is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 118 have been recorded since 1958.
Social Security Administration records show Machel recorded 118 times among girls since 1958, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1958 to 1984.
- #25,322 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 118 born since 1958
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Machel ranks #25,322 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 118 born since 1958, peaking in the 1960s.
- #25,322 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 118
- born since 1958
- 1960s
- peak decade
Machel's 118 recorded births place it above 64.92% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Machel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Machel splits its recorded history at 1966: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1958 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 13 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Machel popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1958–1984
- Peak year (1962)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 27 years of records
Machel popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 1972 (Machel as boys' name)
Machel by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (84 births, 71% of the file).
1960s was Machel's strongest decade.
84 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 71% of all-time use.
Machel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
- 1960s
1960s
84 births
- 1970s 18
1970s
18 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 84 births (71% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Machel's data
- Machel's decade-level peak was the 1960s (84 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Machel
Nearby Names Like Machel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Machel
Compare Machel side by side: Machel vs Mackenzie Machel vs Macy Machel vs Macie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Machel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1962)
Similar record span (~26 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1958–1984 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Machel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.