Total births
307
Boys' name · since 1970
Marcelus
Marcelus has 307 recorded births since 1970 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1996 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12649
- among boys today
- 307
- born since 1970
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
307 babies have been named Marcelus since 1970, making it today's #12649 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Marcelus recorded 307 times among boys since 1970, holding rank #12649 nationally today, ahead of 12% of boys, 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 1970 to 2024.
- #12649 among boys today
- 307 born since 1970
- 1990s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Marcelus is currently the #12649 boys' name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 307 born since 1970, peaking in the 1990s.
- #12649
- among boys today
- 307
- born since 1970
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Marcelus vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12649
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Marcelus was born in this single decade.
1996
Single peak year
18 babies were named Marcelus in 1996 - its busiest year on record.
How Marcelus compares
307 46th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Marcelus's all-time total is 16% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Marcelus | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 307 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 18 | 23 | 22,252 |
Marcelus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Marcelus's SSA record in two at 2002 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1978, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1996 peak of 18, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Marcelus at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1996
Current rank
#12,649
Active since
1970
Marcelus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2024
- Peak year (1996)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Marcelus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Marcelus's strongest decade.
101 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Marcelus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 19
1970s
19 births
- 1980s 38
1980s
38 births
- 1990s
1990s
101 births
- 2000s
2000s
64 births
- 2010s
2010s
53 births
- 2020s 32
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 101 births (33% of all-time use).
Marcelus by state
Where Marcelus concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 3.3% |
California share of Marcelus's total US births 3.3%
10 of 307 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marcelus? ▼
Marcelus has been given to 307 babies in the U.S. since 1970, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #12649 as of the latest data. 18 babies were born in 1996, its single highest year.
When was Marcelus most popular? ▼
Marcelus was most popular in the 1990s decade with 101 total births. The single peak year was 1996.
Where is Marcelus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Marcelus are California (10 births).
How long has the name Marcelus been used? ▼
Marcelus has been recorded in Social Security data since 1970, spanning 55 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Marcelus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mark, Martin, Marvin, Marcus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Marcelus's data
- Marcelus's decade-level peak was the 1990s (101 total births); usage has since declined to 32 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Marceluss (10 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 Marcelus
Nearby Names Like Marcelus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marcelus
Mark Boy
#244 1,362,176 births
Martin Boy
#307 315,561 births
Marvin Boy
#671 254,192 births
Marcus Boy
#256 241,657 births
Mario Boy
#398 151,310 births
Compare Marcelus side by side: Marcelus vs Mark Marcelus vs Martin Marcelus vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Marcelus
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, 1970–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Marcelus: #12649 Boys' Name - 307 Births, Peak 1996." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/marcelus. 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 Marcelus 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.