Boys' name · since 1911
Marshel
Marshel has 521 recorded births since 1911 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1923 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,711 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 521
- born since 1911
- 1920s
- peak decade
521 boys have been named Marshel since 1911, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marshel has been recorded 521 times among boys since 1911, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1911 to 1989.
- #7,711 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 521 born since 1911
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marshel ranks #7,711 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 521 born since 1911, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7,711 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 521
- born since 1911
- 1920s
- peak decade
Marshel's 521 recorded births place it above 83.03% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Alabama.
Marshel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Marshel's full recorded timeline at 1937, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1911, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 20 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Marshel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1911–1989
- Peak year (1923)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 1989.
521 total births across 79 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1923 with 20 births in a single year.
Marshel popularity over time - girls
12 total births recorded since 1959 (Marshel as girls' name)
Unisex use remains the minority pattern
The girls' variant of Marshel accounts for 2% of total recorded use across both genders.
Marshel by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (158 births, 30% of the file).
1920s was Marshel's strongest decade.
158 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Marshel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
77 births
- 1920s
1920s
158 births
- 1930s
1930s
121 births
- 1940s
1940s
75 births
- 1950s 33
1950s
33 births
- 1960s 26
1960s
26 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s 26
1980s
26 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 158 births (30% of all-time use).
Marshel decade highlights
- Peak decade 158 births
- Runner-up 121 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Marshel 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 Marshel's total volume
Marshel by state
Where Marshel concentrates geographically, total births since 1911
Top 5 states
- Alabama 1.0% of nationwide
- Tennessee 1.0% of nationwide
Recorded in 2 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Alabama accounts for 1.0% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Marshel? ▼
Where does Marshel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Marshel most popular? ▼
Where is Marshel most popular? ▼
How long has the name Marshel been used? ▼
What names are similar to Marshel? ▼
What to do with Marshel's data
- Marshel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (158 total births); usage has since declined to 26 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Marshels (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Marshel
Nearby Names Like Marshel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marshel
Compare Marshel side by side: Marshel vs Mark Marshel vs Martin Marshel vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Marshel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~78 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, 1911–1989 (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 Marshel 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.
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