Total births
1,696
Boys' name · since 1920
Martel
1,696 babies named Martel in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7840
- among boys today
- 1,696
- born since 1920
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Martel is the #7840 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,696 recorded since 1920.
Martel has 1,696 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7840 as of the latest data, more common than 45% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2025.
- #7840 among boys today
- 1,696 born since 1920
- 1980s peak decade
- 45% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Martel is currently the #7840 boys' name in America, more common than 45% of boys - 1,696 born since 1920, peaking in the 1980s.
- #7840
- among boys today
- 1,696
- born since 1920
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other boys
Martel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7840
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 45% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Martel was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
72 babies were named Martel in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Martel compares
1,696 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Martel's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Martel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,696 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 72 | 23 | 22,252 |
Martel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Martel splits its recorded history at 1990: 58% of all births land in the more recent half, 42% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1991 peak of 72 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Martel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#7,840
Active since
1920
Martel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 72
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Martel popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1973 (Martel as girls' name)
Martel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Martel's strongest decade.
496 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Martel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 23
1920s
23 births
- 1940s 16
1940s
16 births
- 1950s 12
1950s
12 births
- 1960s 50
1960s
50 births
- 1970s 119
1970s
119 births
- 1980s
1980s
496 births
- 1990s
1990s
496 births
- 2000s
2000s
246 births
- 2010s 176
2010s
176 births
- 2020s 62
2020s
62 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 496 births (29% of all-time use).
How Martel 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 Martel's total volume
Martel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Martel by state
Where Martel concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 157 | 9.3% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 131 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 127 | 7.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 34 | 2.0% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 11 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Florida | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Texas | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Martel's total US births 9.3%
Even split
157 of 1,696 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Martel? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 1,696 babies named Martel. Today it holds rank #7840 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 72 births.
When was Martel most popular? ▼
Martel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 496 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Martel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Martel are California (157 births), Michigan (131 births), Illinois (127 births).
How long has the name Martel been used? ▼
Records for Martel go back to 1920, giving 106 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Martel? ▼
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 Martel's data
- Martel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (496 total births); usage has since declined to 62 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Martels (157 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 Martel
Nearby Names Like Martel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Martel
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 Martel side by side: Martel vs Mark Martel vs Martin Martel vs Marvin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Martel
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, 1920–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Martel: #7840 Boys' Name - 1,696 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/martel. 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 Martel 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.