Marshal is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German word 'marah', meaning 'horse'. It was originally used as a surname for someone who worked at a stable or was involved in horse racing. Over time, Marshal evolved into a given name and has been popular throughout Europe, particularly in France where it is often associated with French nobility due to historical figures like Jean I, Duke of Brittany, also known as Marshal Jean. The name Marshal is also found in the English-speaking world, notably among royalty such as King Henry II of England who had a marshal named William de Mandeville. Today, Marshall and its variants are common surnames worldwide, while Marshal remains an uncommon given name choice.
The name Marshal experienced fluctuations in popularity between 1952 and 1975, with the most popular years being 1954, 1958, 1963, 1966, 1970, and 1973, each seeing 7 births. The total number of babies named Marshal during this period was 74.