boy's name
Markel
- Origin Basque
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 4,867
Markel is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 39 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Markel is a name of Basque origin.
- Peaked in 1999, when 183 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 85,012 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1948.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Markel over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 10 |
| 1950s | 63 |
| 1960s | 89 |
| 1970s | 142 |
| 1980s | 331 |
| 1990s | 1,343 |
| 2000s | 1,469 |
| 2010s | 1,015 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 367 |
How popular is Markel?
In 2025, Markel was given to 39 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Markel 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 Markel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Markel also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Markel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Markel
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Markel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Markel
How popular is the name Markel?
In 2025, Markel was given to 39 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Markel a girl's or a boy's name?
Markel is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Markel?
Markel has 2 syllables.
When was Markel most popular?
Markel peaked in 1999, when 183 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Markel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Markel currently ranks #3,099 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.