Total births
4,708
Boys' name · since 1948
Markel
4,708 babies named Markel in U.S. Social Security records since 1948, with the highest year being 1999. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2691
- among boys today
- 4,708
- born since 1948
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Markel is the #2691 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,708 recorded since 1948.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Markel has been recorded 4,708 times among boys since 1948, currently ranked #2691 nationally and more common than 81% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1948 to 2025.
- #2691 among boys today
- 4,708 born since 1948
- 2000s peak decade
- 81% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Markel is currently the #2691 boys' name in America, more common than 81% of boys - 4,708 born since 1948, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2691
- among boys today
- 4,708
- born since 1948
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Markel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2691
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 81% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Markel was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
172 babies were named Markel in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Markel compares
4,708 Top 13% higher than 87% of 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
Markel's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Markel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,708 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 172 | 23 | 22,252 |
Markel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Markel's SSA record in two at 1988 and the more recent half accounts for 89% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 11%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1948, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1999 peak of 172, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Markel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#2,691
Active since
1948
Markel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 172
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Markel popularity over time - girls
121 total births recorded since 1975 (Markel as girls' name)
Markel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Markel's strongest decade.
1,447 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Markel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 63
1950s
63 births
- 1960s 89
1960s
89 births
- 1970s 132
1970s
132 births
- 1980s 326
1980s
326 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,259 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,447 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,015 births
- 2020s 367
2020s
367 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,447 births (31% of all-time use).
How Markel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Markel's total volume
Markel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Markel by state
Where Markel concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 322 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Florida | | 286 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 232 | 4.9% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 181 | 3.8% |
| #5 | New York | | 179 | 3.8% |
| #6 | California | | 172 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 144 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 141 | 3.0% |
Georgia share of Markel's total US births 6.8%
Even split
322 of 4,708 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Markel appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Markel? ▼
4,708 babies have been named Markel since 1948. It currently ranks #2691 among boys. The peak year was 1999 with 172 births.
When was Markel most popular? ▼
Markel was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,447 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Markel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Markel are Georgia (322 births), Florida (286 births), Texas (232 births).
How long has the name Markel been used? ▼
Records for Markel go back to 1948, giving 78 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Markel? ▼
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 Markel's data
- Markel's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,447 total births); usage has since declined to 367 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Markels (322 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Markel
Nearby Names Like Markel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Markel
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 Markel side by side: Markel vs Mark Markel vs Martin Markel vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Markel
Breck #2690
2,648 births · Peak 2016
Konstantinos #2692
2,122 births · Peak 1977
Olivier #2689
1,989 births · Peak 2011
Jaron #2693
11,228 births · Peak 2001
Waylan #2688
1,288 births · Peak 2023
Tevin #2694
11,717 births · Peak 1992
Knight #2687
934 births · Peak 2022
Surya #2695
1,215 births · Peak 2009
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, 1948–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Markel: #2691 Boys' Name - 4,708 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/markel. 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 Markel 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.