Unisex name · since 1889

Marvel

5,198 babies named Marvel in U.S. Social Security records since 1889, with the highest year being 1929. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#2,500 of 72,339
all-time among girls
#6,558 of 17,297
2025 SSA year
5,198
born since 1889
1920s
peak decade

5,198 babies have been named Marvel since 1889, making it today's #6558 unisex name.

Marvel has 5,198 recorded births among girls since 1889, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6558 as of the latest data, more common than 62% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1889 to 2025.

  • #2,500 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • #6,558 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
  • 5,198 born since 1889
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marvel ranks #2,500 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,558 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 5,198 born since 1889, peaking in the 1920s.

#2,500 of 72,339
all-time among girls
#6,558 of 17,297
2025 SSA year
5,198
born since 1889
1920s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%62%
Marvel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Marvel's 5,198 recorded births place it above 96.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

23 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Minnesota.

How Marvel compares

5,198 Top 13% higher than 87% of 17,297 names currently given to girls

Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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

Marvel's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Marvel Median girls name (Kyann) #1 girls name (Olivia)
All-time total births 5,198 376 567,345
Peak-year births 171 21 19,840

Marvel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Marvel's SSA record in two at 1943 and the more recent half accounts for 23% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 77%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1974, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1929 peak of 171, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Marvel popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1889–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1929)
171
Annual births at peak, across 137 years of records
050100150200 188919041918193219461960197420172025 17

Marvel popularity over time - boys

1,371 total births recorded since 1907 (Marvel as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 1,371 births
010203040 190719251940195719731988200320182025 19

Marvel by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (1,372 births, 26% of the file).

1920s was Marvel's strongest decade.

1,372 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Marvel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,372 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Marvel compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Marvel's total volume

Marvel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -105, 5.3%-37, 5.2%-93, 6.8%-112, 5.3%-101, 5.9%-110, 4%-53, 6%-136, 2.3%-118, 2.9%-131, 3.6%-63, 4.3%-146, 2%-48, 5.4%-129, 3.4%-100, 4.9%Marvel-137, 3.3%Marvel
Marvel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Marvel by state

Where Marvel concentrates geographically, total births since 1889

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Marvel
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Minnesota
448 8.6%
#2 Iowa
409 7.9%
#3 Michigan
358 6.9%
#4 Wisconsin
217 4.2%
#5 Ohio
180 3.5%
#6 North Dakota
130 2.5%
#7 Nebraska
109 2.1%
#8 Kansas
108 2.1%
Minnesota share of Marvel's total US births 8.6%
Even split

448 of 5,198 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.

Marvel appears in 23 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Marvel?
Since 1889, Social Security records show 5,198 babies named Marvel. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #2,500 of 72,339 girls' names by total births. In 2025, it holds #6,558 of 17,297 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1929, with 171 births.
Where does Marvel sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marvel ranks #2,500 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,558 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Marvel most popular?
Marvel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,372 total births. The single peak year was 1929.
Where is Marvel most popular?
The top states for the name Marvel are Minnesota (448 births), Iowa (409 births), Michigan (358 births).
Is Marvel a unisex name?
Yes, Marvel is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 5,198 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,371 births.
How long has the name Marvel been used?
Records for Marvel go back to 1889, giving 137 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Marvel?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Marvel's data

  • Marvel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,372 total births); usage has since declined to 157 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Minnesota records the most Marvels (448 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Marvel

Nearby Names Like Marvel

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marvel

Names with a similar popularity rank to Marvel

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Marvel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1889–2025 (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 Marvel 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.