Given name & surname
Markel
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
Markel is a variant of Mark. One Latin interpretation is “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Markel is a variant of Mark. One Latin interpretation is “dedicated to Mars, the god of war.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Markel is a variant of Mark. An origin associated with Mark is Latin.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Markel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,829
- 4,708 boys · 121 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 183 babies
- 2025
- 39
- #3,111 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −33%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 39 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,111 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 172 in 1999. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,447 as a first name in 2020; 3,737 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Markel’s family of names
Markel has a related form in Mark. In Belarusian usage, Markel is a transliteration of Маркел. In German usage, Markel as a surname has a related form in MERKEL.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Markel
- Arata IsozakiJapanese architect (1931-2022)
- Markel SusaetaSpanish association football playerborn 1987
- Markel FernándezSpanish athleteborn 2003
- Markel BergaraSpanish footballerborn 1986
- Markel Irizarroad bicycle racerborn 1980
- Markel BrownAmerican basketball player (born 1992)
- Markel EtxeberriaSpanish association football playerborn 1995
- Markel AreitioSpanish association football playerborn 1996
- Markel StarksAmerican basketball player (born 1991)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Markel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Mitchell
“who is like God?”
>99% boys
Marcos
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% boys
Manuel
“God is with us”
>99% boys
Marco
“dedicated to Mars, the god of war”
>99% boys
Malik
“the sovereign”
>99% boys
Mathew
“gift of God” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Misael
“who is what God is?”
>99% boys
Moises
Moises is a masculine given name from Portuguese, ultimately from Spanish. It is used in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Latin.
>99% boys