Marvel Unisex

Popularity: #931 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: MAR-vuhl //ˈmɑːrvəl//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: extraordinary; Latin: to marvel at

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Marvel has its roots in the Latin word "mirabilis," which means "wonderful" or "admirable." This term evolved through Old French as "merveille" before making its way into Middle English as "marvel." The transition into English occurred around the 14th century, where it was used both as a noun and a verb, denoting something that inspires awe or wonder. The name Marvel, as a given name, likely emerged from this rich linguistic heritage, embodying the qualities of wonder and admiration.

Historically, the term "marvel" has been associated with various cultural and literary milestones. In medieval literature, marvels often appeared in tales of chivalry and adventure, where extraordinary feats were celebrated.

The concept of marvel is also present in religious texts, including the Bible, where miraculous events are often described as wonders that inspire faith. The King James Bible, published in 1611, contains numerous references to marvels, further embedding the term in the cultural consciousness of English speakers.

Culturally, the name Marvel carries connotations of inspiration and extraordinary achievement. It resonates with the idea of something that captivates the imagination, which has been a recurring theme in folklore and storytelling throughout history.

The name may also evoke associations with creativity and innovation, reflecting the human desire to explore and celebrate the remarkable aspects of life. While diminutive forms or variations of the name are less common, the essence of Marvel as a name encapsulates a sense of wonder that has persisted through the ages.

Fictional characters named Marvel

The following list of fictional characters named Marvel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Marvel is a fictional character from the comic book series Marvel Comics. He is a superhero known for his incredible strength and ability to fly, often associated with the Marvel Universe.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Marvel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MabelMarinaMaraMarloweMiraMavis

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Marvel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MarleyMarinaMaraMabelMarisMarisabelMarisolMarlowe

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Marvel was first seen in the United States in 1889.

Marvel has ranked as high as #919 nationally, which occurred in 1929, and has been most popular in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Marvel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Marvel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Marvel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Marvel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 36 19 17
2024 31 16 15
2023 55 28 27
2022 60 30 30
2021 57 29 28
2020 63 23 40
2019 66 32 34
2018 47 18 29
2017 50 29 21
2016 40 20 20
2015 31 17 14
2014 53 24 29
2013 28 17 11
2012 21 13 8
2011 13 13 0
2010 7 7 0
2009 10 10 0
2008 16 11 5
2007 11 11 0
2006 13 13 0
2005 11 11 0
2004 13 13 0
2003 10 10 0
2002 12 12 0
2001 6 6 0
2000 11 11 0
1999 8 8 0
1998 5 5 0
1997 10 10 0
1996 13 13 0
1995 12 12 0
1994 19 19 0
1993 15 15 0
1992 14 14 0
1991 8 8 0
1990 27 22 5
1989 8 8 0
1988 19 12 7
1987 7 7 0
1986 16 16 0
1985 19 12 7
1984 7 7 0
1983 6 6 0
1982 15 15 0
1981 9 9 0
1980 15 10 5
1979 12 12 0
1978 17 10 7
1977 12 7 5
1976 8 8 0
1975 17 11 6
1974 15 10 5
1973 17 10 7
1972 19 11 8
1971 22 16 6
1970 27 13 14
1969 22 9 13
1968 16 9 7
1967 34 16 18
1966 24 12 12
1965 11 0 11
1964 23 8 15
1963 25 5 20
1962 26 10 16
1961 27 10 17
1960 17 5 12
1959 30 9 21
1958 25 7 18
1957 34 6 28
1956 51 6 45
1955 43 8 35
1954 30 8 22
1953 43 8 35
1952 38 5 33
1951 45 10 35
1950 43 6 37
1949 47 9 38
1948 53 13 40
1947 46 5 41
1946 42 0 42
1945 55 11 44
1944 60 12 48
1943 66 8 58
1942 72 11 61
1941 63 0 63
1940 69 6 63
1939 66 7 59
1938 97 13 84
1937 74 7 67
1936 81 8 73
1935 98 8 90
1934 116 8 108
1933 97 7 90
1932 112 9 103
1931 119 14 105
1930 148 11 137
1929 181 10 171
1928 113 12 101
1927 151 17 134
1926 151 13 138
1925 126 18 108
1924 171 19 152
1923 178 25 153
1922 147 17 130
1921 148 12 136
1920 166 17 149
1919 142 14 128
1918 161 11 150
1917 152 25 127
1916 139 10 129
1915 146 11 135
1914 84 10 74
1913 73 9 64
1912 69 6 63
1911 50 7 43
1910 49 0 49
1909 43 0 43
1908 46 0 46
1907 45 5 40
1906 43 0 43
1905 28 0 28
1904 33 0 33
1903 29 0 29
1902 34 0 34
1901 35 0 35
1900 42 0 42
1899 37 0 37
1898 35 0 35
1897 25 0 25
1896 27 0 27
1895 20 0 20
1894 13 0 13
1893 19 0 19
1892 17 0 17
1891 15 0 15
1889 9 0 9

Top States for Marvel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 6
100%