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.
- #1,858 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,094 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,708
- born since 1948
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Markel is the #3094 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 #3094 nationally and more common than 78% 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.
- #1,858 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,094 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 4,708 born since 1948
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Markel ranks #1,858 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,094 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,708 born since 1948, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1,858 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,094 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,708
- born since 1948
- 2000s
- peak decade
Markel's 4,708 recorded births place it above 95.91% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Georgia.
How Markel compares
4,708 Top 13% higher than 87% of 13,930 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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,708 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 172 | 34 | 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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (1,447 births, 31% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Markel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Markel most popular? ▼
Where is Markel most popular? ▼
How long has the name Markel been used? ▼
What names are similar to Markel? ▼
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
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
Compare Markel side by side: Markel vs Mark Markel vs Martin Markel vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Markel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Markel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1999)
Similar record span (~77 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, 1948–2025 (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 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 August 2026.