boy's name
Marceau
mar-SOH
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 36,910
France
#13
2025 births
Marceau is a boy's name of French origin meaning "little warrior," a surname form of Marcel that has become a first name. It ranks thirteenth in France, and our records show it entering the data only in 2016, making it one of the newest names in the French top twenty.
- Marceau is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2025, when 2,405 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 245 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Marceau over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 3,940 |
| 1910s | 3,595 |
| 1920s | 3,155 |
| 1930s | 1,775 |
| 1940s | 820 |
| 1950s | 465 |
| 1960s | 240 |
| 1970s | 100 |
| 1980s | 165 |
| 1990s | 665 |
| 2000s | 2,000 |
| 2010s | 7,885 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,040 |
What Marceau means
Marceau means little warrior, or young warrior. It descends from Marcel and so ultimately from Mars, the Roman god of war, with a diminutive ending that softens rather than reverses the sense.
Where Marceau comes from
Marceau is a French surname derived from Marcel, which comes from the Latin Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus, itself formed from the name of Mars. The best-known bearer is General Francois Severin Marceau, a young Revolutionary commander killed in 1796 at twenty-seven, whose name is on the Arc de Triomphe and on a Paris avenue and Metro station. The mime Marcel Marceau, born Mangel, took the general's name as a stage surname while in the Resistance. Its use as a first name is very recent and belongs to a broader French fashion for surname-names, in the way that English has taken up Harrison and Bennett.
Marceau in use
Marceau ranks thirteenth in France with about 2,405 births in 2025, and our French series records it from 2016 onward, so its entire history as a common first name spans under a decade. Nothing comparable appears elsewhere: England and Wales place it beyond 4,600 and the United States beyond 8,000. It is a purely French phenomenon, and a very fast one.
How popular is Marceau?
In 2025, Marceau was given to 2,405 babies in France, ranking #13 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Marceau is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marceau
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marceau also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marceau over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Marceau in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Marceau
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marceau — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marceau
What does the name Marceau mean?
Marceau means "little warrior," descending from Marcel and ultimately from Mars.
Is Marceau a first name or a surname?
Both. It began as a surname from Marcel and has become a first name in France only very recently.
How new is Marceau as a first name?
Our French records carry it from 2016, so its whole history in the top twenty spans under a decade.
Who was General Marceau?
A Revolutionary commander killed in 1796 at twenty-seven, commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe.
How popular is the name Marceau?
In 2025, Marceau was given to 2,405 babies in France, ranking #13 that year. It is a rare choice.
Is Marceau a girl's or a boy's name?
Marceau is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marceau?
Marceau has 2 syllables.
When was Marceau most popular?
Marceau peaked in 2025, when 2,405 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Marceau a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marceau currently ranks #13 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.