boy's name
Marcelo
mar-SEH-lo
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 14,216
the United States
#398
2025 births
Marcelo is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "of Mars". It is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus, and belongs to the same family as Mark, Marco and Marcus — all naming the Roman god of war.
- Marcelo is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 798 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,155 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1907.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Marcelo over time
Births per decade in the United States, 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 | 6 |
| 1910s | 68 |
| 1920s | 187 |
| 1930s | 209 |
| 1940s | 195 |
| 1950s | 255 |
| 1960s | 397 |
| 1970s | 678 |
| 1980s | 796 |
| 1990s | 1,338 |
| 2000s | 2,187 |
| 2010s | 3,400 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,515 |
What Marcelo means
Marcelo means little Marcus, and Marcus means belonging to Mars. The diminutive is affectionate rather than diminishing, so the name reads as young Mars rather than lesser Mars.
Where Marcelo comes from
Marcelo descends from the Latin Marcellus, a diminutive of Marcus, itself from Mars, the Roman god of war and, earlier, of agriculture and boundaries. Marcus was among the most common Roman first names, and Marcellus named a distinguished branch of the Claudian family; Marcus Claudius Marcellus, five times consul, took Syracuse in the Second Punic War. Saint Marcellus carried the name into the Christian calendar. Spanish and Portuguese give Marcelo, Italian Marcello, French Marcel. It appears in our records from 1907.
Marcelo in use
Marcelo charts in only four of the seven countries we track and reached its highest recorded use in 2025.
How popular is Marcelo?
In 2025, Marcelo was given to 798 babies in the United States, ranking #398 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Marcelo is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Marcelo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Marcelo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Marcelo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Marcelo
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Marcelo 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 Marcelo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Marcelo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Marcelo
What does the name Marcelo mean?
Of Mars, through Marcus and the diminutive Marcellus.
Is Marcelo Spanish or Portuguese?
Both use it. Italian gives Marcello and French Marcel.
Is Marcelo related to Mark?
Yes. Mark, Marco, Marcus and Marcelo all descend from Marcus and the god Mars.
How popular is the name Marcelo?
In 2025, Marcelo was given to 798 babies in the United States, ranking #398 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Marcelo a girl's or a boy's name?
Marcelo is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Marcelo?
Marcelo has 3 syllables.
When was Marcelo most popular?
Marcelo peaked in 2025, when 798 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Marcelo?
Marcelo is usually shortened to Marce.
Is Marcelo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Marcelo currently ranks #398 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.