Marcel, of French origin, means "dedicated to Mars." In Roman mythology, Mars is the god of war. This name has been used historically and can be found among notable figures such as Marcel Proust, a French novelist, and Marcel Mauss, an anthropologist. It was also the name of several popes in the Middle Ages. Marcel is associated with intelligence and leadership, as evidenced by its bearers throughout history. It has a modern yet classic sound, making it timeless and suitable for many cultures.
The name Marcel appears to have been quite popular between the late 1940s and mid-1970s, with consistent annual birth counts ranging from a low of 6 to a high of 32 during this period. The peak years for Marcel were in the early 1950s and late 1960s, with particularly notable spikes in 1954 (22 births) and 1970 (32 births). However, after the mid-1970s, there was a significant decrease in the number of babies named Marcel each year, with counts consistently below 20 from 1976 onwards. The name Marcel has not been particularly popular in recent years, with annual birth counts typically ranging between 5 and 10 since the mid-1980s. In total, there have been 992 births named Marcel over the specified time period.