Marcelo
Boy name · #399 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Marcelo? In official American birth records, Marcelo has been tracked continuously since 1907, giving it 118 years of documented American history.
Marcelo ranks #399 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 798 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #761, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,256 boys born in 2025 was named Marcelo.
The 118-year story
Marcelo first appears in the Social Security records in 1907, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 798 babies and a rank of #398. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Marcelo per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Marcelo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Marcelo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Marcelo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Marcelo is most common
Geography matters for names, and Marcelo is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Marcelo is most common in TX (1.2 per 1,000), AZ (1.1 per 1,000), NV (0.9 per 1,000), CA (0.9 per 1,000), FL (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Marcelo is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Marcelo
Statistically, parents drawn to Marcelo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Carmelo, Leandro, Maximo, Santino, and Marcello.
CarmeloLeandroMaximoSantinoMarcelloLucianoCamiloMathias
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Marcelo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 798 | #398 |
| 2024 | 710 | #444 |
| 2023 | 566 | #521 |
| 2022 | 545 | #542 |
| 2021 | 478 | #583 |
| 2020 | 418 | #641 |
| 2019 | 483 | #576 |
| 2018 | 440 | #610 |
| 2017 | 463 | #586 |
| 2016 | 317 | #765 |
| 2015 | 313 | #761 |
| 2014 | 319 | #743 |
| 2013 | 270 | #811 |
| 2012 | 284 | #795 |
| 2011 | 263 | #825 |
| 2010 | 248 | #854 |
| 2009 | 254 | #843 |
| 2008 | 284 | #781 |
| 2007 | 273 | #789 |
| 2006 | 217 | #896 |
| 2005 | 215 | #854 |
| 2004 | 183 | #925 |
| 2003 | 185 | #902 |
| 2002 | 188 | #872 |
| 2001 | 198 | #826 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Marcelo?
In official American birth records, the name Marcelo first appeared in 1907 (over 118 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 118 years.
Is Marcelo a popular boy name?
Marcelo ranked #399 among boys in 2025 with 798 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #761.
When was the name Marcelo most popular?
Marcelo peaked in 2025, when 798 American boys received the name (ranked #398 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Marcelo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,256 newborn American boys was named Marcelo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.