Marcellus
Marcellus was given to 208 boys in 2025, #1,054 among boys’ names; 9,608 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 7,460 Americans named Marcellus and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (78% of everyone recorded); the median is 23 years old and half are between 7 and 43.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Marcellus by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Marcellus mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Marcellus is “a male given name from Latin.”
Borrowed from Latin Marcellus. Doublet of Marcel.
/mɑɹˈsɛləs/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Marcellus?
#1,054 among boys’ names, 2025
Marcellus rose from #1,243 in 2015 to #1,054 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.08 to 0.12 per 1,000.
351 babies in 2021, the peak
Marcellus peaked in 2021, when 351 boys were given it, #732 among boys’ names. The 208 births of 2025 are 59% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 208 | #1,054 | 0.12 |
| 2024 | 241 | #951 | 0.14 |
| 2023 | 271 | #870 | 0.16 |
| 2022 | 332 | #763 | 0.19 |
| 2021 | 351 | #732 | 0.20 |
| 2020 | 329 | #741 | 0.19 |
| 2019 | 234 | #934 | 0.13 |
| 2018 | 218 | #953 | 0.12 |
| 2017 | 181 | #1,084 | 0.10 |
| 2016 | 154 | #1,220 | 0.08 |
Every recorded year (143)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 147 | #1,243 | 0.08 |
| 2014 | 126 | #1,358 | 0.07 |
| 2013 | 80 | #1,804 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 85 | #1,767 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 87 | #1,713 | 0.05 |
| 2010 | 91 | #1,695 | 0.05 |
| 2009 | 99 | #1,612 | 0.05 |
| 2008 | 106 | #1,529 | 0.05 |
| 2007 | 92 | #1,664 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 96 | #1,547 | 0.05 |
| 2005 | 106 | #1,406 | 0.05 |
| 2004 | 93 | #1,471 | 0.05 |
| 2003 | 114 | #1,264 | 0.06 |
| 2002 | 98 | #1,349 | 0.05 |
| 2001 | 117 | #1,175 | 0.06 |
| 2000 | 114 | #1,191 | 0.06 |
| 1999 | 91 | #1,323 | 0.05 |
| 1998 | 91 | #1,308 | 0.05 |
| 1997 | 110 | #1,135 | 0.06 |
| 1996 | 101 | #1,162 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 97 | #1,174 | 0.05 |
| 1994 | 110 | #1,063 | 0.06 |
| 1993 | 117 | #1,018 | 0.06 |
| 1992 | 104 | #1,078 | 0.05 |
| 1991 | 104 | #1,062 | 0.05 |
| 1990 | 107 | #1,020 | 0.05 |
| 1989 | 83 | #1,161 | 0.04 |
| 1988 | 77 | #1,149 | 0.04 |
| 1987 | 93 | #984 | 0.05 |
| 1986 | 70 | #1,130 | 0.04 |
| 1985 | 65 | #1,163 | 0.04 |
| 1984 | 84 | #973 | 0.05 |
| 1983 | 54 | #1,260 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 37 | #1,634 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 64 | #1,149 | 0.04 |
| 1980 | 47 | #1,386 | 0.03 |
| 1979 | 68 | #1,084 | 0.04 |
| 1978 | 65 | #1,084 | 0.04 |
| 1977 | 67 | #1,059 | 0.04 |
| 1976 | 59 | #1,108 | 0.04 |
| 1975 | 93 | #865 | 0.06 |
| 1974 | 73 | #960 | 0.05 |
| 1973 | 78 | #909 | 0.05 |
| 1972 | 96 | #821 | 0.06 |
| 1971 | 121 | #744 | 0.07 |
| 1970 | 98 | #821 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 86 | #831 | 0.05 |
| 1968 | 84 | #810 | 0.05 |
| 1967 | 71 | #854 | 0.04 |
| 1966 | 59 | #947 | 0.03 |
| 1965 | 60 | #952 | 0.03 |
| 1964 | 68 | #924 | 0.03 |
| 1963 | 39 | #1,247 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 50 | #1,086 | 0.02 |
| 1961 | 45 | #1,192 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 50 | #1,108 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 31 | #1,427 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 35 | #1,313 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 40 | #1,238 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 43 | #1,164 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 52 | #1,051 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 65 | #925 | 0.03 |
| 1953 | 41 | #1,162 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 49 | #1,039 | 0.03 |
| 1951 | 37 | #1,209 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 21 | #1,640 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 46 | #1,042 | 0.03 |
| 1948 | 35 | #1,226 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 39 | #1,170 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 40 | #1,107 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,316 | 0.02 |
| 1944 | 25 | #1,351 | 0.02 |
| 1943 | 26 | #1,388 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 37 | #1,133 | 0.03 |
| 1941 | 27 | #1,290 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 25 | #1,354 | 0.02 |
| 1939 | 27 | #1,292 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 34 | #1,122 | 0.03 |
| 1937 | 37 | #1,066 | 0.03 |
| 1936 | 33 | #1,158 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 32 | #1,181 | 0.03 |
| 1934 | 39 | #1,052 | 0.04 |
| 1933 | 24 | #1,391 | 0.02 |
| 1932 | 34 | #1,167 | 0.03 |
| 1931 | 50 | #917 | 0.05 |
| 1930 | 49 | #971 | 0.04 |
| 1929 | 45 | #1,020 | 0.04 |
| 1928 | 43 | #1,072 | 0.04 |
| 1927 | 50 | #995 | 0.04 |
| 1926 | 45 | #1,046 | 0.04 |
| 1925 | 45 | #1,035 | 0.04 |
| 1924 | 57 | #931 | 0.05 |
| 1923 | 59 | #888 | 0.05 |
| 1922 | 60 | #899 | 0.06 |
| 1921 | 53 | #965 | 0.05 |
| 1920 | 66 | #831 | 0.06 |
| 1919 | 50 | #955 | 0.05 |
| 1918 | 56 | #891 | 0.06 |
| 1917 | 53 | #881 | 0.06 |
| 1916 | 69 | #730 | 0.08 |
| 1915 | 55 | #830 | 0.06 |
| 1914 | 42 | #832 | 0.06 |
| 1913 | 29 | #925 | 0.06 |
| 1912 | 24 | #929 | 0.06 |
| 1911 | 15 | #880 | 0.07 |
| 1910 | 17 | #746 | 0.09 |
| 1909 | 11 | #935 | 0.07 |
| 1908 | 12 | #810 | 0.08 |
| 1907 | 7 | #1,161 | 0.05 |
| 1906 | 14 | #667 | 0.11 |
| 1904 | 14 | #634 | 0.11 |
| 1903 | 14 | #606 | 0.12 |
| 1902 | 16 | #548 | 0.13 |
| 1901 | 9 | #758 | 0.08 |
| 1900 | 11 | #824 | 0.07 |
| 1899 | 9 | #762 | 0.08 |
| 1897 | 9 | #765 | 0.08 |
| 1896 | 8 | #869 | 0.07 |
| 1894 | 10 | #707 | 0.09 |
| 1893 | 9 | #741 | 0.08 |
| 1892 | 7 | #917 | 0.06 |
| 1891 | 7 | #814 | 0.07 |
| 1890 | 7 | #852 | 0.06 |
| 1889 | 12 | #571 | 0.11 |
| 1888 | 9 | #738 | 0.07 |
| 1887 | 9 | #663 | 0.09 |
| 1886 | 9 | #677 | 0.08 |
| 1885 | 11 | #592 | 0.10 |
| 1884 | 11 | #591 | 0.10 |
| 1883 | 5 | #995 | 0.05 |
| 1882 | 6 | #908 | 0.05 |
| 1881 | 8 | #683 | 0.08 |
| 1880 | 11 | #591 | 0.10 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Marcellus a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Marcellus has been given almost only to boys: 5 girls in 143 years of records.
Girls and boys named Marcellus: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Marcellus, and how old are they?
7,460 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 78% of the 9,608 Americans ever recorded as Marcellus. The median Marcellus alive today is 23 years old; half are between 7 and 43.
The 2020 Census counted 4,754 people named Marcellus (31 women and girls, 4,723 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 6,065 born in the U.S. The Census count is 22% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 104 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 552 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,090 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,300 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,560 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,850 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Marcellus born?
The states with the most babies named Marcellus are Texas, Florida and Virginia, with 31% of its births recorded by state in 2025; Virginia is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 22 | #1,061 | 0.6× |
| Florida | 14 | #991 | 0.7× |
| Virginia | 12 | #612 | 1.4× |
| Ohio | 12 | #740 | 0.7× |
| North Carolina | 12 | #750 | 0.6× |
| Georgia | 11 | #827 | 0.8× |
| California | 10 | #1,653 | 0.6× |
| New York | 10 | #1,179 | 0.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | #824 | 0.5× |
| Illinois | 8 | #987 | 0.9× |
Where Marcellus is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Marcellus is most over-represented in District of Columbia: since 1910 it was given 3.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Marcellus with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 11,632 babies since 1880, Marcellus is the most given (83% of them). In 2025 it was given to 208 of their 221 babies (94%), again the most given.
| Name | Since 1880 | Births 2025 | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcellus | 9,608 | 208 | 2021 |
| Marcellous | 1,062 | 13 | 1993 |
| Marcellis | 310 | under 5 | 1994 |
| Marcelus | 307 | under 5 | 1996 |
| Marcelis | 113 | under 5 | 1992 |
| Marcelles | 92 | under 5 | 1988 |
| Marcellas | 79 | under 5 | 1976 |
| Marcellius | 61 | under 5 | 1996 |
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Marcellus
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Marcellus and names like it
- Compare Marcellus and MarcellousBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sMarcellus peaked in 2021.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Marcellus since 1910.
- Latin namesWiktionary’s origin for Marcellus: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2021The year the most babies were named Marcellus.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Marcellus alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with MMost given first.