How Many People Are Named Markel?
An estimated 4,673 people in the United States have the first name Markel. It is predominantly male (97.5%). The average bearer is 24 years old, and Markel peaked in popularity in 1999 with 183 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Markel as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Markel paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Markel is overwhelmingly male, 121 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
Estimated Living Americans
4,673
About 1 in 73,348 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
97.5% confidence
Average Age
24
years old
Peak Year
1999
183 births
Total Registered
4,791
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Markel
Markel is predominantly male (97.5%), though 121 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Markel as a male name
Ranked #2,688 in 2024
49 male births in 2024
Peak: 1999 (172 births)
Markel as a female name
Ranked #12,585 in 2005
8 female births in 2005
Peak: 1990 (12 births)
Markel: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Markel span from the 1940s to the 2020s, covering 9 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2000s, when 1,469 babies were registered. Markel has declined significantly from its peak in the 2000s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Markel by Decade
How has Markel tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Markel by State
Birth registrations for Markel span all 23 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Georgia, Florida, Texas. The lowest are in Massachusetts, Indiana, New Jersey. On average, about 116 Markels were registered per state.
Markel + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Markel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Markel
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
Markel: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Markel?
We estimate approximately 4,673 people named Markel are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 73,348 Americans share this first name.
Is Markel a common name?
Markel is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 96.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 4,791 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Markel most popular?
Markel reached peak popularity in 1999, when 183 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Markel is approximately 24 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Markel a male name?
Markel is predominantly male. 97.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Markel Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Markel Smith, Markel Johnson, Markel Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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