girl's name
Marcelle
mar-SEL
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 235,272
Scotland
#452
1975 births
Marcelle is a girl's name meaning of Mars, the French feminine of Marcel. Our data marks it reviving — and unusually for this group, the revival is happening in France rather than America, after a 1920 peak of 8,625 births.
- Marcelle is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1920, when 8,625 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in France.
- Today about 1 in 29,475 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Marcelle 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 | 51,025 |
| 1910s | 52,870 |
| 1920s | 64,680 |
| 1930s | 35,170 |
| 1940s | 16,290 |
| 1950s | 6,815 |
| 1960s | 1,810 |
| 1970s | 335 |
| 1980s | 80 |
| 1990s | 30 |
| 2000s | 25 |
| 2010s | 75 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 100 |
What Marcelle means
Marcelle means of Mars, or dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war. The name marks a person as belonging to the god rather than describing any quality of their own.
Where Marcelle comes from
Marcelle is the French feminine of Marcel, from the Latin Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus — which is itself generally derived from Mars, the god of war who gives March its name. So Marcelle is a feminine of a diminutive of a name meaning belonging to a war god, which is four steps of softening. Marcus Claudius Marcellus, who took Syracuse in 212 BC, is the Roman bearer; the siege is remembered chiefly because a soldier killed Archimedes during it, against orders.
Marcelle in use
Marcelle peaked in France in 1920, when 8,625 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 1639th in France on 20 births and 6626th in the United States on 22, across 235,272 lifetime births in two of the seven markets we track. Unlike Yvette, Paulette and Lorraine — whose revivals are American — this one is happening in France, which is where the name belongs.
How popular is Marcelle?
In 2025, Marcelle was given to 20 babies in France. It is a rare choice.
Where Marcelle 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 Marcelle
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marcelle also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marcelle over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Marcelle 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 Marcelle
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marcelle — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marcelle
What does the name Marcelle mean?
Of Mars, the Roman god of war — the French feminine of Marcel.
Is Marcelle related to March?
Through Mars, yes — the month and the name both trace to the god.
Is Marcelle coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, and unusually the revival is French rather than American.
How popular is Marcelle?
1639th in France, down from a 1920 peak of 8,625 births.
Is Marcelle a girl's or a boy's name?
Marcelle is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marcelle?
Marcelle has 2 syllables.
Is Marcelle a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marcelle currently ranks #1,639 in France. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.