Given name
Marcela
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”·“the little warrior”
Marcela is a variant of Marcella. In Latin use, Marcella carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.” Marcela is a feminine form of Marcel. One French interpretation is “the little warrior.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marcela is a variant of Marcella. In Latin use, Marcella carries the interpretation “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.” Marcela is a feminine form of Marcel. One French interpretation is “the little warrior.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Marcela is a feminine form of Marcel. An origin associated with Marcel is Latin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1908. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Marcela is a feminine form of Marcel. The history of Marcel gives this family its wider story. Marcel’s historical associations include a 3rd-century missionary to Gaul, martyred at Bourges with his companion Anastasius.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Marcela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,955
- 0 boys · 8,955 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 210 babies
- 2025
- 136
- #1,554 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 136 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,554 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 210 in 1999. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (31). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 22,861 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marcela’s family of names
In Czech usage, Marcela has a diminutive in Marcelka. Marcela is a feminine form of Marcel. Marcela has a related form in Marcella.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marcela has relatives in 7 languages.
7 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marcela
- Marcela BovioMexican metal artistborn 1979
- Marcela LagardeMexican academic, author, researcher, anthropologist, feminist activist and politicianborn 1948
- Marcela IacubArgentine writer, academic and juristborn 1964
- Marcela ToporRomanian journalistborn 1976
- Marcela KloosterboerArgentine actressborn 1983
- Marcela Temer36th First Lady of Brazil (2016–2018)born 1983
- Marcela Moldovan-Zsakfencerborn 1956
- Marcela AgoncilloSeamstress (1859-1946)
- Marcela SaidChilean film directorborn 1972
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marcela, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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