Total births
8,955
Girls' name · since 1908
Marcela
8,955 babies named Marcela in U.S. Social Security records since 1908, with the highest year being 1999. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1473
- among girls today
- 8,955
- born since 1908
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
8,955 babies have been named Marcela since 1908, making it today's #1473 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marcela recorded 8,955 times among girls since 1908, holding rank #1473 nationally today, ahead of 92% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #1473 among girls today
- 8,955 born since 1908
- 1990s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marcela is currently the #1473 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 8,955 born since 1908, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1473
- among girls today
- 8,955
- born since 1908
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Marcela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1473
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Marcela was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
210 babies were named Marcela in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Marcela compares
8,955 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Marcela's all-time total is 23x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marcela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,955 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 210 | 48 | 19,840 |
Marcela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marcela's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 88% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 12%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1937, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1999 peak of 210, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marcela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#1,473
Active since
1908
Marcela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 210
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Marcela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Marcela's strongest decade.
1,802 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Marcela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 9
1900s
9 births
- 1910s 38
1910s
38 births
- 1920s 182
1920s
182 births
- 1930s 129
1930s
129 births
- 1940s 120
1940s
120 births
- 1950s 156
1950s
156 births
- 1960s 408
1960s
408 births
- 1970s
1970s
975 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,393 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,802 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,777 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,188 births
- 2020s
2020s
778 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,802 births (20% of all-time use).
How Marcela compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Marcela's total volume
Marcela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Marcela by state
Where Marcela concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,645 | 29.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,327 | 26.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 583 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 358 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 250 | 2.8% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 240 | 2.7% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 92 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 50 | 0.6% |
California share of Marcela's total US births 29.5%
Even split
2,645 of 8,955 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Marcela appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marcela? ▼
Since 1908, Social Security records show 8,955 babies named Marcela. Today it holds rank #1473 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1999, with 210 births.
When was Marcela most popular? ▼
Marcela was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,802 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Marcela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marcela are California (2,645 births), Texas (2,327 births), Florida (583 births).
How long has the name Marcela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Marcela since 1908 -- 118 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Marcela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Marcela's data
- Marcela's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (1,802 total births) through the 2020s (778) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Marcelas (2,645 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marcela
Nearby Names Like Marcela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marcela
Mary Girl
#131 4,141,481 births
Margaret Girl
#119 1,264,774 births
Maria Girl
#74 566,111 births
Martha Girl
#666 551,741 births
Marie Girl
#632 540,077 births
Compare Marcela side by side: Marcela vs Mary Marcela vs Margaret Marcela vs Maria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marcela
Aimee #1472
54,685 births · Peak 1977
Cherish #1474
11,352 births · Peak 2007
Aislinn #1471
5,521 births · Peak 2018
Myah #1475
10,249 births · Peak 2009
Jael #1470
4,561 births · Peak 2012
Kenley #1476
7,290 births · Peak 2012
Noelia #1469
7,655 births · Peak 2006
Nayla #1477
3,579 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marcela: #1473 Girls' Name - 8,955 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marcela. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Marcela 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 June 2026.